A Bundle Of Joy
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: Kratos has returned after many years of drifting in space. When he returns to Symphonia he bears many things: The newly freed angels, and a future that shouldn't have happened... [Mpreg] [YxK] [Collab with Nife]
1. Love's First Name

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Yo, and welcome to another collab fic with Meowzy! This time, with my smut-loving buddy **Nife**!  
**Nife:** I R the banana!  
**Meowzy:** ... I see... You make a very good point! Well, before we start, I must throw around a few warnings. First, this fic supports Yuan/Kratos, Lloyd/Zelos, and maybe some other guy/guy or girl/girl pairings.  
**Nife:** Hai.  
**Meowzy:** Also, it's an M-preg fic. If you don't know what M-preg is, it means Male Pregnancy. I normally don't support M-pregs, but we're gonna try to tie it in nicely, and make it a bit logical. We hope you all don't go "Ewww, M-preg!" and run away, because it's really not all about the pregnant thing. Okay, maybe it is, but... Oh, whatevah.  
**Nife:** M-preg are the cute! X3  
**Meowzy:** What she said! Odd, and physically not possible, but cute. Oh, and also, we don't own Tales of Symphonia or the characters. Now, enjoy the first chapter written by **Nife**! And leave reviews, because I'm a review whore.  
**Nife: **I love reviews. Like chocolate covered Kratoses. And Yuans. And them together... -_drowns in own drool_-))

* * *

Love's first name

"What do you mean?"

Yuan was sitting comfortably in a chair across from Lloyd, sipping his coffee. He had asked the question when Lloyd had made a strange proclamation to him. "I thought Derris-Kharlan wasn't due to return for another three months...?" He leaned back, and stared at the man across from him.

"Dad says, because it caught the orbit of three planets it's moving far faster now." Lloyd said, answering Yuan. He studied Yuan slightly, waiting for some sort of a reaction.

"I see..." Yuan said sipping on the tea again, carefully keeping himself in check. "So he'll be here tomorrow then..."

"Yeah, as long as all goes well. We're going to have a party to celebrate. Are you going to come?" Lloyd asked.

"I'll see..." Yuan said, finishing his coffee. He got up and grabbed his cape, nodding good-bye to Zelos and Colette who were in Lloyd's kitchen.

* * *

"Kratos... how long has it been since you left here?" Yuan said, relaxing in his large chair in his living room. "Five years?" Kratos had left on Derris-Kharlan after the true regeneration of the world, and though Yuan loathed to admit it, he had missed the other angel terribly. 

He wondered how his old friend was doing, and if he'd managed to awaken the other angels.

He sighed, shaking his head. If he wanted to find these things out he'd just have to go to the party and ask himself.

"So my decision was made before I decided then..." Yuan said aloud.

He summoned one of his butlers and told him that he'd be out and that he should inform all of his servants that they had the night off. If this ended badly he didn't need them to see him in utter disarray.

* * *

The party, like all things Lloyd-tachi did, was a large event. There were decorations as far as the eye could see. The walls, the tables, the people, all of it was decorated to the nines. 

Yuan sighed, he had decided to dress up slightly for the occasion, but being here he felt a little... out of place. His own clothing nowhere near the extravagance the room held.

He looked around the hall. It was Zelos' that was for certain, but it had a lot of Regal's decoration taste. He walked down the stairs to where Lloyd-tachi had gathered and greeted them with a wave.

"Hello." Regal greeted him gently.

"Good eve." Yuan said in reply, giving his head a slight nod.

The others turned to him with their own greetings.

Yuan studied all of them, as each of them had changed in the last few years... Lloyd was as tall and handsome as his father now, while Colette still remained petite but had grown lovely as a woman. Genis had grown exponentially, now towering over his sister, who in turn had not changed much at all. Not that he expected her to, she was a half elf after all.

Presea had also grown quite taller and more beautiful, looking every bit like her name's sake, the beautiful flower. Regal looked a bit older, and far more kept. If Yuan's eyes weren't deceiving him, he saw a wedding band on his finger... perhaps from his old love?

Sheena looked like an older, more mature woman, utterly beautiful and exotic. Zelos had grown a little older looking, but no less appealing to the eye. His hands were entwined with Lloyd's, to which Yuan had to smile lightly. It was so nice to see love so young and pure.

"We were just waiting for Kratos and the others." Lloyd said.

"Others?" Yuan asked.

"The other angels." Zelos answered for Lloyd. "He said he'd be bringing them here. that's why we have such a big hall."

"But there are several thousand of them!" Yuan exclaimed.

"He's only bringing a few." Lloyd answered before Yuan fell into a panic. "During the party dad and I will be discussing moving the angels down to Earth and creating a home for them here."

"I see..." Yuan answered. "Will you be needing my assistance?"

"Most likely." Lloyd answered. "You can talk to Kratos about it when he gets here."

"When will he arrive?" Yuan asked, a slight nervousness to his voice.

"He should arrive anytime." Lloyd answered.

"I see." Yuan answered. "Then I think I will take a seat." Yuan said, moving to one of the lush couches.

* * *

Hours went by without a hid or hair of Kratos or his entourage. Yuan wasn't worried, he'd know Kratos wouldn't miss this opportunity to see his son. 

However... when Lloyd started to pace and the clock hit one in the morning, Yuan began to fret slightly.

"When did he say he'd arrive?" Presea asked Lloyd.

"He said sometime tonight... At least night in Tethe'alla." Lloyd said, stopping his pacing to answer Yuan.

"... I see." Yuan answered. He looked out the window he was sitting near, wringing his hands nervously.

Lloyd was about to say something when a bright light lit up the sky and flew towards them.

Yuan shot up, running towards the doors, and opening them to see Kratos and his angel entourage standing there. "K-Kratos!" Yuan exclaimed.

Kratos smiled and walked towards Yuan and the doors. "Hello." He said, greeting him.

Yuan glared at him, "You're late."

Kratos smiled. "Forgive me."

"Ask your son." Yuan said blowing Kratos off, turning on his heel. He walked down the staircase to the main hall.

Kratos chuckled under his breath, and followed Yuan, angel entourage in tow.

"Dad!" Lloyd shouted, as soon as Kratos entered. He ran up to the man, picking him up in a hug. Kratos gasped as the air was pushed out of his lungs.

"L-Lloyd?" Kratos asked, slightly bewildered.

Lloyd put him down, smiling sheepishly. "Ah... sorry."

Kratos stared at his son. "Lloyd..." He said in astonishment.

Lloyd smiled, happy that his father approved. "Welcome home."

Kratos smiled happily with just a hint of nostalgia. "It's good to be home."

"Now that Kratos is home it's time for the celebrations to begin!" Zelos exclaimed happily.

"I see some things don't change." Kratos said with a shake of his head, though it didn't have the venom it usually carried when it came to the chosen.

"Um dad..." Lloyd said, suddenly nervous.

"Yes Lloyd?" Kratos answered.

"I-uh, have something to tell you." He said, looking away from his father.

Kratos seemed to understand and led Lloyd away from the others, to a more private place. The angels who followed him thus far remained amongst the rest of Lloyd-tachi.

"Dad... it's about me... and" Lloyd began.

Kratos remained attentively listening to Lloyd, making no move to say anything till lloyd was finished.

"... Zelos, we... we're married." Lloyd finished flinching from Kratos slightly, afraid of what was to come.

"That's good to hear Lloyd." Kratos said.

"Ah...? Is that all? You're not going to freak?" He asked.

Kratos shook his head. "Why should I? I have no right to dictate whom you love, or how you live."

"Really...? You're not mad?" Lloyd asked again, tentatively.

"No Lloyd, I'm glad you could find happiness." Kratos answered sagely.

Lloyd bear hugged him. "Thank you!"

"Ack! You're welcome Lloyd." Kratos said, wind once again knocked out of him.

Lloyd walked back to the others, a wide grin on his face. "Let's start this party!" He exclaimed.

* * *

"So this is where you've been hiding." Kratos said as he walked up to Yuan, a wine bottle in one hand, two glasses in the other. 

"How'd you find me?" Yuan asked, eyeing the wine bottle.

"Sheena." Kratos answered simply.

"I see, and the wine?" He asked, still looking at the wine.

"I thought it would be nice for us to celebrate my return together." Kratos said.

"I see..." Yuan said with a slight chuckle, not missing the implication.

Kratos handed him a glass, opening the bottle with his teeth.

"Elegant." Yuan said with a raised eyebrow as Kratos poured him a glass. He lifted the glass up to his lips, taking a quick sip.

Kratos shrugged off Yuan's criticism and poured himself a cup. "Whatever works." He took a swig of his own, before casting a look at Yuan. "I missed you."

"Ah, is this where you confess your undying love to me?" Yuan asked, smiling slightly.

"No, it's your turn. I did it last time." Kratos answered.

"Oh, really?" Yuan said with a light chuckle, "I've lost count."

"The last time was me before I left on Derris Kharlan... You said you couldn't go with me, that you had a lot of things to do here..." Kratos said, looking at the fountain below the balcony. "Are you done with them...?" He asked quietly.

Yuan sighed, casting his gaze to the heavens. "If only... But you're going to stay now aren't you?"

"I am. I'm going to try to reinitiate the angels on to earth." Kratos answered.

"Really? That's good to hear... That the angels have finally awakened." He turned his head to Kratos, "No one should suffer in that cruel state."

"It seems all the old wounds are finally healing..." Kratos said, casting his eyes over to Yuan.

Yuan didn't respond at first, simply cast his eyes away. "Some wounds are too painful, have gone on untreated."

"Yuan..." Kratos said, sighing slightly.

"He's grown up into a fine man, looks just like you." Yuan said off hand.

"I think he looks more like his mother..." Kratos said, realising that Yuan was dropping the topic.

"He has your eyes and your body." Yuan said.

"Yuan, why have you been checking out my son?" Kratos said glaring, though there was a little bit of mischief in his eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself..." Yuan said rolling his eyes.

"So want to get so wasted we forget our names?" Kratos said, abruptly changing the subject.

"Sure." Yuan said, grabbing the bottle from Kratos, and chugging it.

* * *

"That was an interesting three hours. I never knew the chosen could dance like that." Yuan said with a light chuckle, slightly wobbling as he walked down the hall. 

"Indeed... That was amusing." Kratos said, slightly swaying himself. "I'm glad we have a room to ourselves..."

"To ourselves?" Yuan asked, confused.

"Do you really want me to spend my first night alone?" Kratos said leaning on the other seraph.

"You're just a horny bastard..." Yuan slurred.

"Only for you." Kratos said, leaning down to kiss Yuan's lips.

Yuan smiled back up at Kratos. "You know what this means..."

"I have to pay for the next beer we have." Kratos answered.

"That, and you have to get tomorrow's aspirin." He said, dragging Kratos into their room.

* * *

(Alternate text to Yuan's rant: 

Yuan didn't respond at first, simply cast his eyes away. "Some wounds are too painful, have gone on untreated."

"Ah, come on Yuan! I ran you though once!"

"Asshole! That hurt like hell!")

* * *

((**Meowzy:** -_claps_- Good job **Nife**! Oh, there is a version that has explicit lemon. It can be found on **Nife**'s Livejournal, and Y!gallery. **Nife**'s LJ username is Niffe, by the way. And a slight sidenote, for those of you who are reading Secrecy, my collab with **Katandshadow**... Kat's internet is down, so I'm not sure when to expect the next chapter. But that's totally unrelated to this fic! Expect chapter two... uh... as soon as I've finished it.)) 


	2. Headaches And Morning Sickness

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Iiiih! 3 reviews! **Nife** thanks you all! And so do I! Even though it wasn't me who wrote the first chapter. Eheheh...  
Now it's time for my chapter! And it can't really beat **Nife**'s implied lemon, but... I'll try.))

* * *

Headaches and morning sickness.

The next morning, Yuan returned to his home just outside of Hima pretending nothing had happened.

Though he ached to be with Kratos again, he knew he couldn't. At least not for a while. The human was still living on Derris-Kharlan, and occupied with helping the angels move to the surface of the planet.

Yuan himself would be very busy too. He had reformed the Renegades a few years ago, to help the newly reunited world. Now that the angels would be integrating with the people, they would have even more work to do. Yuan often found himself working overtime, to which his body would complain heavily, but it wasn't until three months had passed that he noticed something was seriously wrong.

* * *

Yuan was sitting at his desk, trying to finish a report, when he was struck by a sudden headache. Casting a quick glance at the clock, he noticed it was already far past midnight. Deciding he'd better wrap it up quickly, he continued to write but the pain soon spread out through his body focussing oddly on his stomach. 

Groaning mildly, he got up from his chair. A quick wave of dizziness made him have to grab the desk for support. It subsided after a few seconds.

Yuan was moved to get a painkiller from his bedroom cabinet; however, he didn't even make it to the hallway, as he collapsed halfway to the door.

As Yuan woke up again the next morning, with a slight loss of short-term memory and a queasy feeling in his stomach, he quickly dismissed the incident as 'lack of sleep'. After all, his Cruxis crystal didn't allow him to get sick so easily.

* * *

A few days later, as he wandered through the streets of Hima, he encountered none other than Raine Sage and her little brother Genis. The two had been travelling for a few years now, but their resolve to make life easier for half-elves burned just as strongly. 

"How've you been?" Raine asked, as Genis left the two, to check out new equipment at the market.

"Oh, fine." Yuan said. Though he doubted whether that answer was completely truthful. "Have you made any more progress with the half-elves in Sybak?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. Though many of them consider the academy to be their home, some have left to start a new life elsewhere. Without the influence of the Pope, they are free to go wherever they want, after all." Raine explained.

"Good." Yuan nodded faintly, before frowning and rubbing his forehead.

"Are you sure you're all right?" The white-haired woman asked, eyeing him with a worried glance.

"Just a mild headache." Yuan answered, waving off her worry.

"You don't look too well." Raine said again, concern slipping into her voice.

"I said I'm fine!" Yuan barked, clenching his fists. Raine raised an eyebrow at him. "Ah… I'm sorry." He said, casting his eyes to the ground.

"That's okay." Raine smiled faintly. "Anyway, Zelos' influence with the king has been very helpful too."

As the woman continued her story, Yuan's mind wandered off elsewhere. He wasn't feeling fine at all. His 'mild headache' reminded him of several rheairds crashing continuously into a mountain. It had lasted for a few hours now, and wasn't very pleasant at all. To make things worse, for some reason, his body was starting to feel heavy. Almost like it lacked Mana. But… why?

Meanwhile, Raine continued to talk, oblivious to the way Yuan was fighting to stand up straight. He was losing the battle though and it wasn't long before he felt himself falling back, everything going black. He faintly heard Raine shout his name before he'd completely passed out.

* * *

Feeling immensely sick, Yuan slowly came to his senses again. Letting out a low groan, he opened his eyes to stare at a ceiling, the ceiling of his own bedroom. 

"He's awake." Came a familiar voice. He turned his head to see it was Genis.

"Oh, good." Raine replied. She approached the bed, and sat down on a chair next to it.

"What happened?" Yuan asked, sitting up.

"You passed out." Raine explained. "We had to get one of your butlers to let us in."

"How did you know where I live?"

"Kratos." The woman said shortly, jerking her head towards a corner of the room.

Yuan immediately shifted to see Kratos, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He suddenly felt a bit ashamed that his friend saw him in this position.

"I knew you were sick. I could tell just by glancing at you." Raine continued.

"I'm not sick. I've just been a bit… stressed lately." Yuan snapped.

"Then you've been ill for a longer time?" Raine said with a raised eyebrow.

"I never said-" Yuan began to argue.

Raine cut his argument short "Have you passed out before?" she leaned forward to stare into his eyes.

"Yes." Yuan admitted, looking away.

"Then you're sick." Raine concluded.

"I can't be sick. My Cruxis crystal should prevent me from being affected by viruses."

"Which makes things even worse." Raine said crossing her arms.

"Raine, stop pestering the guy." Genis sighed.

"I'm not pestering. I'm looking out for his health!" Raine shot back.

"Look, I'm fine." Yuan tried to get up but felt a rather painful sting near his stomach and quickly sat down again with a slight grunt.

"You're not." Raine said simply. "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions. I want you to answer them in honesty."

"Fine." Yuan crossed his arms impatiently, looking away again.

"How long have you been sick?" Raine asked, jotting down notes

"I'm not-" Yuan began.

Raine cut him off though. "Answer the question!"

"… About a week." Yuan answered with an annoyed sigh.

"Are you experiencing headaches?" Raine asked.

"Yes." Yuan answered, becoming more agitated with each question.

"Nausea?" Raine asked again.

"Yes." Yuan nodded faintly.

"Loss of appetite?" Raine said, looking up from her notes at him.

"Actually, I've only been eating more lately. I've been having strange cravings but not in the morning. That time is reserved for throwing up." Yuan shrugged.

"… I see." Raine turned away, thinking deeply. "No… It couldn't be."

"What?" the blue-haired angel demanded.

"Genis, could you leave the room for a few minutes?" Raine asked her brother.

"Huh?" Genis suddenly looked terribly offended. "Why?"

"I need to ask some personal questions." Raine said shortly.

"Then how come Kratos gets to stay?" Genis demanded.

"Kratos is not an annoying brat." Yuan said quickly.

"I'm not a brat! I'm seventeen years old now!" Genis stomped his foot on the ground in a childish way.

"You're still a brat."

"Genis, just leave." Raine sighed.

"Fine." The boy spat, before storming out and slamming the door behind him. A small silence followed.

"Okay, so… Don't be offended by this question." Raine said, turning back to Yuan.

"Depends on the question." He scoffed.

"When was the last time you were… intimate with anyone?" The woman asked delicately.

"None of your business."

"Yuan, just answer the question." Kratos sighed, opening his mouth for the first time that evening.

"… About three months ago." Yuan answered blushing slightly.

"With a man or a woman?"

"Man." He said softly, glaring at the wall, his blush getting darker.

"I see…" Raine stroked her chin absentmindedly. "Well, there's one more thing I want to try then."

"Just _one_ more thing?" Yuan asked sarcastically.

Raine leaned closer to the bed again, and pulled away the blankets.

"Wh-What are you-" He began, trying to snatch them back, but the woman held them out of his reach.

"Just relax." She said, before placing a hand on his stomach. Closing her eyes, she began to examine Yuan's body with her own Mana. It was a very strange feeling indeed.

"Well?" he asked after what seemed like ages.

"It's strange but there's no denying it." Raine muttered, removing her hand again.

"What?" Yuan asked.

"Congratulations. You're pregnant."

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Raise your hand if you did _not_ see that coming. ... -_sees no hands_- What, _that_ obvious?)) 


	3. In All Seriousness

((A/N: **Nife:** Okay, I guess I'll write the notes here today...  
First of thanks for all the nice reviews

Second off, this is to colettetheklutz789:  
Thank you for being brave enough to actually sign in to submit your flame. While everyone has their own opinion I would like to point out that we said in the beginning that it was a yaoi and that there would be some mature themes that may repulse some people. Reading was your own choice, and if you do not like reading these things then you shouldn't, especially when warnings are given first and foremost.  
Also I would like to ask if you are posting your flame simply out of boredom, then please refrain from doing so. It's rude and hurtful and we do not appreciate it.  
I hope that there will be no more unintelligent flames that grammatically incorrect. If the themes we are portraying disturb you then please refrain from reading this.

Anyway, on to the story!  
Quick warnings: Yaoi, implied sexual situations, and mature/disturbing themes. Please do not read if you find this offensive.))

* * *

In all seriousness.

"Excuse me?" Yuan said staring at the woman as though she had gone insane.

"I said... Congratulations you're pregnant." Raine said smiling.

"Oh." Yuan said, then fainted.

Kratos quickly rushed to his side, placing him in a more comfortable position.

Raine checked on him sighing in relief when she found nothing wrong. "He just fainted."

Kratos closed his eyes, slowly letting out a breath. "That's good to hear. Raine I am sorry but I must ask you to remain by his side and help him recuperate." Kratos said, standing and leaving, giving Raine no real choice in the matter.

-

"This can't be real." Yuan said for the fifth time. "There's no way..."

Raine sighed, looking up from her book. "Yuan calm down and think, how do you think this could have happened? Maybe then you'll get your answers." Usually she would answer with it'll be all right', but she was beginning to grow tired of Yuan mumbling the same thing over and over again.

Yuan stopped, turning to stare at the woman. "How did this happen?"

Raine looked up to Yuan more than a little agitated. "I don't know Yuan, maybe you're a hermaphrodite?"

"No, I don't think so." Yuan said thoughtfully. "Then there has to be another reason."

Raine stared at him. "Actually, I'm a bit curious about this myself." She said, tapping her chin. "You're sure you're not even a little..."

"Definitely." Yuan said with a nod. "I'm all male."

"Well then there has to be another reason." Raine said, tilting her head.

Yuan thought about it, how did this happen? It never had beforehand, not once in the four thousand years he had been alive, and this was certainly not the first time he had slept with Kratos...

So what could that mean? What had happened to him in the last while that could invoke this? It's true that he hadn't seen Kratos in five years, but he doubted that that could have changed his gender. Even taking into account the mana shift due to Derris Kharlan's return there wasn't enough to have changed him that drastically.

This had to have happened prior. Perhaps it was a series of events? If that is the case then what events could have lead to this?

"Raine?" he asked.

"Yes?" Raine answered.

"Could you check my womb to see the baby's mana?" Yuan asked.

Raine paused to think about it, then nodded. "All right, but why? Do you want to find out the gender?"

"Gender?" Yuan asked, a little dumbfounded. "I... didn't think about that."

Raine smiled that annoying smile usually reserved for Genis. At Yuan's scowl, she went about examining the babe.

"It's a healthy boy. He has a lot of... That's odd, he has a lot of Kratos's mana." Raine said a puzzled look crossing her face.

"Is that unusual?" Yuan asked. Though he dealt with chosens, he never worked with the mana signatures or the reproduction.

"Quite. Usually an infant has more of their mother's mana, till it develops into something else." Raine answered.

"So then my baby's mana... is different?" Yuan asked.

"It seems like it was almost artificially made." Raine answered. "As though the mana is both yours and Kratos's, but the mana that is yours entered Kratos and then re-entered you." She made a thoughtful clicking sound in her mouth.

"Does that mean that the babe is not a real child?" Yuan asked, a slightly distressed note in his voice.

"No." Raine answered. "The child is a child, but its creation was artificial. Actually it kind of reminds me of Colette when she was in the final stage of becoming an angel."

Yuan didn't respond, quietly thinking about what Raine had just told him. If the mana was Kratos's, but his at the same time, then what did that mean? When did Kratos get his mana? "Raine... do you have an age of the mana from the child?" he asked.

"Hm, the mana from Kratos is about four thousand and fifteen years." She answered.

"That doesn't answer too much... What about the mana that is both mine and his?" He urged.

"Oh, well that's about five years old, sort of." Raine answered.

"What do you mean sort of?" Yuan asked.

"Well, it's really old mana that was born again." She said, thinking deeply.

"Born again?" Yuan inquired, tilting his head slightly.

"When it was transferred, it changed to suit Kratos." Raine answered.

"I see..." Yuan tried to remember such an instance. His eyes widened when he remembered five years ago when he had saved Kratos from death.

Raine must have came to the same conclusion when her eyes lit up. "My Gods! Do you know what this means!" She said excitedly, and not giving Yuan a chance to answer. "This child was born from the mana that you shared with Kratos! Kratos' body withheld that particular mana until you, well, and because of the length of time it took to return it, it turned into a new life form, probably from absorbing the mana from Derris Kharlan!"

"So this child is born from me saving Kratos all those years ago?" Yuan said, his usual quick slowing at the sentimental gesture. "He was born of my love?" He said quietly.

"This is amazing! Talk about the power of love!" Raine said excitedly. "You are the first to have ever have this happen!" Stars twinkled in her eyes, as though she was studying a ruin.

Yuan raised an eyebrow at her. Just as Raine was about to go on a full rant a knock on the door was heard. "Come in." He answered.

Genis poked his head in. "I heard yelling." He said.

Yuan gave an exasperated sigh. "It was just your insane sister about to dissect me."

"Oh, okay. Well Lloyd and Zelos are here to see how you're doing." Genis said off hand.

"Send them up, and drag your sister away." Yuan said, much to Raine's disappointment.

A few moments later Zelos and Lloyd entered. "Hey Yuan! Heard you were sick!" Zelos said, telltale smile in place.

"Word travels fast..." Yuan said glaring at the two.

"Genis told us." Lloyd said.

"Oh, did he?" Yuan said, glaring at the wall hoping it would get through to the much younger half-elf.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Lloyd said with a dismissive wave. "He was worried about you, especially when Raine wouldn't tell him what was wrong."

"I think he's just an annoying brat." Yuan said with a huff.

"I couldn't agree more." Zelos said, still smiling like an idiot.

"Zelos!" Lloyd said, glaring at his lover. "Well anyway, how are you feeling Yuan?"

"Ill." Yuan answered. "Tired, and cranky."

"We noticed." Zelos said with the same stupid smile.

"ZELOS!" Lloyd shouted at his lover, beating him over the head again.

Yuan chuckled at their antics. They certainly fought like Kratos and him used to...

Speaking of Kratos, where was he? Shouldn't he be here, helping him? Yuan glared, the little bugger had run off... And without the strength to catch him... He sighed sadly, catching the attention of Zelos and Lloyd.

"Something wrong?" Lloyd asked.

"Kratos." Yuan said point form. "He ran off again right when I needed him."

"That jerk!" Zelos said, seeming to almost be annoyed. Though whether it was at the fact that Kratos ran off, or just the human in general was debatable.

Just then a thought struck Yuan. If he wasn't strong enough, why not get someone else to do it... All he'd have to do is play the part and get these dumbas... er wonderful people to help him. "I'm so ill too..." Time to get the play started.

"How inconsiderate! Aren't you guys close? How could he do that?" Lloyd spat. Oh poor, poor naive little Lloyd...

"I don't think he wants to deal with me..." Yuan said, careful not to sound to pathetic and not make them believe he was actually upset.

He didn't really have to act that much though, because though Zelos looked a little suspicious, Lloyd bit the bait as soon as he saw it.

"I'm going to go up there and drag that selfish bastard right back down here to take care of you! If he loves you he wouldn't run off! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, I'm going to..." Yuan couldn't hear the rest of Lloyd's rant as the boy had already gone downstairs and slammed the front door to the house.

"You did that on purpose." Zelos said, an accusatory glare on his face.

"Me?" Yuan asked innocently.

Zelos didn't buy it. "You're not very nice Yuan, You know that Kratos won't be able to fight back against his own kid."

"Ah, but that is the beauty of it." Yuan said, a wicked smile on his face.

"You're evil." Zelos said.

"Point?" Yuan asked.

"No point, I was just wondering if you could give me some pointers." Zelos asked, already wielding a note book.

And thus began a beautiful friendship.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** -_rolling over the floor with laughter_- Awesome ending **Nife**!)) 


	4. Journey's Path

Tales of Symphonia, A bundle of joy

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Time for another chapter from me! It took me WAY too long, and I'm sorry. Enjoy!))

* * *

Journey's path.

Lloyd soon barged through the dark, empty halls of Welgaia. Nearly all the inhabitants had been moved now, with the exception of a few.

"I'll show him. Yes, you bet I will." The boy muttered to himself, rounding another corner.

The central Welgaian square soon came into view. Kratos was standing there, talking to one of the angels. He didn't show any response to Lloyd's arrival, but the boy knew Kratos had noticed him.

Lloyd crossed his arms, waiting for Kratos to round up the conversation. A truly boring conversation. And it was almost like Kratos was extending it on purpose. Eventually, it reached a conclusion.

"Then, I'll contact you later, lord Kratos." The angel said, turning to leave.

Kratos nodded curtly, thereby giving the angel permission to depart. It extended its wings, and sped off. Kratos sighed lightly, before turning to his son.

"What can I do for you, Lloyd?" he asked, sounding a bit business-like.

"Why are you here?" Lloyd demanded immediately.

"I live here." Kratos replied, frowning.

"No, I mean, why aren't you with Yuan?" Lloyd retorted angrily, clenching his fists. "You know he's sick, don't you?"

"Yes. But Yuan is a grown man. He doesn't need me to hold his hand, like a child." Kratos crossed his arms, giving Lloyd a blank glance.

"So? You love him, don't you? Aren't you worried?" Lloyd urged stubbornly.

"I know him well enough to conclude that he will be back on his feet in no time." Kratos grunted, looking away.

"You're hiding something." Just like his father, Lloyd wasn't one to give up without a fight.

"This doesn't concern you Lloyd. Frankly, I'm surprised you care about Yuan's wellbeing." Kratos responded in his usual flair.

"He's been asking about you. You should at least go tell him you're too busy to have a heart." Lloyd spat.

"Tch. Fine. I'll see what I can do." And with that, Kratos strode off, leaving a fuming swordsman behind.

* * *

A short while later, Kratos arrived at Yuan's doorstep. The butlers allowed him to enter, and he found Yuan in his study, hard at work. 

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Kratos remarked, closing the door behind him with a snap.

"Shouldn't you be abandoning me?" Yuan replied, not looking up.

"How could I, when you've sent Lloyd after me?" Kratos sighed mildly, and sat down in a chair across Yuan.

"Does that mean that you would not have returned, if I hadn't asked Lloyd to go get you?" Yuan concluded, finally meeting the human's eye.

"That's not what I meant." Kratos said shortly, crossing his arms.

"Then why did you run?" Yuan demanded.

"I had business to attend to."

"Don't give me that crap!" the half-elf snapped harshly. "You underestimate me if you expect me to believe that."

"Yuan…" Kratos muttered.

"Something's bothering you, and I want to find out what it is." Yuan said crossly.

"It's nothing." Kratos stared stubbornly at the wall, a slight tint of red on his cheeks.

"F-Fine. If you don't want to tell me, t-then…"

Kratos turned back, and was shocked to see tears running down Yuan's cheeks.

"Whoah, Yuan, I didn't mean it like that." He stuttered.

"It's because of mood swings, you moron." Yuan sniffed, quickly wiping his face with the back of his arm.

Kratos sighed and walked over to the other side of the desk, leaning against it as he pulled Yuan off his chair and into a hug.

"Look, I'm sorry I ran. I was… scared." The human said softly.

"Scared of a freak like me?" Yuan growled.

"No. Because I'm afraid to lose you." Kratos explained. Yuan looked up at him, slightly confused. "After what happened with Anna… And I thought Lloyd had died too." A painful expression was etched into Kratos' features.

"But I'm not going anywhere." Yuan whispered, clinging to him.

"She said the same thing." Kratos replied shortly.

"Those were different circumstances. The world is united now, and Yggdrasill is dead. It's actually a pretty good time to raise a child." Yuan pondered.

"… Yes. You're right." The auburn-haired man admitted.

"Anyway, you think _you_'ve got it tough? How do you think _I_ feel?" Yuan asked, finally releasing himself for Kratos' embrace. "I have headaches, mood swings, morning sickness… You think I enjoy becoming a father?"

"Wouldn't you be a mother?" Kratos inquired, suddenly smiling evilly.

"Oh goddess… That's even worse." Yuan groaned, hiding his face in his hands.

"So how did it happen, anyway?" Kratos asked. He'd left before Raine had explained her theory, afterall.

"Ask super ruin girl. She'll probably try to barge in my house again soon, asking me needless questions and trying to examine me." Yuan sighed. Raine had been tossed out the house by Yuan's butlers several times now, but she refused to give up.

"She hasn't told anyone, has she?" Kratos wondered nervously.

"No. Which leaves us with the glorious honour of telling your son."

"Oh dear." Kratos imagine the look on Lloyd's face after telling him he was going to have a little brother or sister. It wasn't very pretty at all.

"Do you think there's any way we can have the baby in secret, and not tell anyone about it?" Yuan asked, smiling faintly.

"I'd say the possibility is about zero." Kratos shrugged.

"Darn. I won't be safe in my own home after this. Lloyd will probably break the door down, brutally murdering everyone who stands in his path." Yuan sighed. "Oh, maybe I can change my name and move to a different town. How does Ruan Notsuspicious sound?"

Kratos gave a hearty laugh, running his fingers through Yuan's hair.

"There will be no need for something _that_ drastic. Now that the other angels have finished moving, I've decided to leave Derris-Kharlan as well." He said, smiling.

"Are you saying…" Yuan stared at him, not sure if Kratos just said what he thought he'd said.

"You do have a bed large enough for two people, right? I'd hate to sleep on the floor."

* * *

((**Meowzy:** **Nife** let me use a bit of humour, so it was easier to write! Yay! Leave reviews? Please?)) 


	5. Breaking The Ice

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Wow, that first scene looks like a lemon.  
**Niffe:** ... No. -_glances around_-  
**Meowzy:** Well, if you say so...  
**Niffe:** This isn't the fic you're looking for... -_waves hand like a jedi_-  
**Meowzy:** Alllrighty then. -_blinks_-  
**Niffe:** ... We own nothing. -_waves hand like a jedi_-))

* * *

Breaking the ice.

"Oh..." Yuan moaned.

Kratos twitched lightly, moving towards the half-elf's face.

"Uhn, oh..." Yuan moaned again, this time more throatily. "Ahhh, Oh, ah... Kratos." Yuan arched off the bed as his body spasmed slightly.

"Yuan..." Kratos whispered in Yuan's ear.

Yuan panted wiggling in discomfort. "Ah..."

"Yuan?" Kratos asked.

"K-Kratos." Yuan panted. "I... I..." He grasped Kratos' arm. "I'm... in so much pain!" He screamed, snapping awake. "Ahhhhhhh!" He screamed, clutching his belly. "Oh! It hurts too much!"

"Yuan!" Kratos held him. "What's wrong!"

"G-Get Raine..." Yuan said before losing consciousness.

Kratos panicked, shaking Yuan. "Yuan!" He shouted but at getting no response, figured that finding Raine would probably be the best solution.

* * *

"When did this start?" Raine asked hurriedly as she examined Yuan. 

"I'm not sure, I woke to him moaning..." Kratos answered.

"Do you know if Yuan has had any illnesses that may have caused this?" Raine asked, feeling for Yuan's pulse.

"Not to my recollection." Kratos answered, helping her sit Yuan up.

"Then it's because of the pregnancy." Raine confirmed.

"Couldn't you tell!" Kratos shouted.

"I had to make sure!" Raine shouted back.

Kratos sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure, this may simply be a part of the pregnancy," Raine answered, continuing her examination, "or this could be something _very_ serious..."

Kratos grew panicked, but he kept it off his face. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to get me a bowl of hot water, a lot of towels, and a pair of scissors." Raine ordered.

"He's not going into labour is he!" Kratos asked, a some what panicked tone in his voice.

"No, but he's losing a lot of blood." Raine said, pulling away the covers to reveal blood soaking into the mattress.

Kratos made a strangled gasp in the back of his throat. "I'll go get that..."

Meanwhile Raine went to work trying to figure out why Yuan was bleeding. After feeling about his baby, and examining his mana she realized the problem. "My gods..." she said pulling back.

Kratos entered, a butler in tow. "Raine?" He asked at seeing her pale face and shaking body.

"I think I'll need to have more than a couple of towels..." She answered.

* * *

"I think we should visit, Zelos. Make sure Kratos made it back." Lloyd said. 

"I think we should allow them to work out their own problems." Zelos said.

"But Zelos, Yuan's sick. He needs our help." Lloyd said, defending Yuan.

"I thought you and he didn't exactly... well, like each other." Zelos said.

"We've been getting along as of recently..." Lloyd answered. "We both realized we wanted the same thing and then we kind of clicked."

"Did you tell Kratos?" Zelos said with a smirk.

"Tell him what? Me and Yuan get along? What's special about that?" Lloyd said, missing the implication. "Anyway, I'm going to see how he is."

"Fine, I'll go along." Zelos said with a shrug.

"Thanks." Lloyd said with a smile.

"What I do for love... honestly..." Zelos said shaking his head.

* * *

Kratos paced nervously back and forth in the lounge of Yuan's mansion. Every once in a while a maid would run by carrying bloody cloths. It had been nearly an hour since Raine had announced that there was something wrong with Yuan and their child, and had asked Kratos to retrieve the doctor from Flanoir. After which he was promptly told to wait downstairs for any news, and thus his nervous pacing. 

He wasn't even sure what was wrong with Yuan. He hated this helpless feeling of not being able to do anything. "Yuan..."

"Kratos?" A voice called to him, and for a second Kratos thought he'd heard Yuan's voice only to turn to see Lloyd and Zelos walking up to him.

"Lloyd?" Kratos asked.

"What happened to you old man?" Zelos so eloquently asked. "You look like you got hit by a rheaird."

"Dad?" Lloyd asked concernedly. "Is something wrong?"

"Yuan." Kratos said running his hand through his hair again, looking absolutely haggard.

"What's wrong with him?" Lloyd asked, suddenly dawning a very concerned face.

Kratos suddenly looked like he was about to be sick. "I... don't know..."

"He must be pretty sick if you're not even sure." Zelos commented off hand.

Kratos just stared at the far wall.

They heard a thump from upstairs. They glanced at each other for a moment, then Kratos took off running, Zelos and Lloyd close behind. They got up the stairs to see Raine come out of the room, covered in blood. "The surgery went well..." She said before fainting.

"Raine!" Lloyd and Zelos cried out, running to her. Kratos moved past them. He went into their shared room to see the other doctor cleaning up, along side the few nurses they had.

He rushed to Yuan's side, looking to the doctor for an explanation.

The doctor looked at him with steady eyes, then began to answer what was on Kratos' mind. "He had internal bleeding." He stated simply. "His unnatural womb was pressing up against his other organs, slowly crushing him. So we had to move the womb lower and make room for it. Frankly I'm surprised he or the baby survived."

Kratos looked back down on his love as he slept. "Will he be alright?"

"I'm unsure, he should probably be dead... but isn't. We've done all we can to help him. We'll just have to pray the rest of the pregnancy goes smoothly." The doctor answered. "Though this entire thing seems quite unnatural, and what is happening is probably a punishment from the goddess Martel for being so sinful." The doctor said with spite in his voice.

Kratos glared at the man. "How dare you..." He spat. He was about to reach for his sword to relieve this man of his head when a hand feebly grabbed his. He looked down to see Yuan smiling weakly up at him.

"Don't..." Yuan mouthed to him.

Kratos glared at the doctor again, but didn't move otherwise. "Fine."

The doctor had turned completely white and quickly scampered past Kratos and down the hall.

"Yuan..." Kratos said worriedly.

Yuan smiled weakly up at him. "I... told you I wouldn't leave..."

Kratos smiled lightly back at him. "I know..."

* * *

"You gonna be okay Raine?" Genis asked for the fourth time. 

"Yes Genis, I'll be fine." Raine answered, swatting her brother who hovered over her.

"Are you sure?" Genis asked again.

"Kid, give the professor a break." Zelos said.

"Shut it Zelos." Genis said glaring.

"Genis!" This time it was Lloyd who shouted. "Stop! You're being rude and not helping the situation at all!"

Genis gaped at Lloyd, making a very good impersonation of a gold fish. Finally giving a defeated shrug, he collapsed in the chair next to Raine.

Raine breathed a sigh of relief. "So where's Kratos?" She asked Lloyd.

"He hasn't left Yuan's side, not since the operation.." Lloyd answered.

"I see... I guess Kratos really was worried." Raine said, sighing.

"I know." Lloyd said. "What's happening to Yuan anyway?"

"You mean... they haven't told you?" She asked.

"Told us?" Genis, Lloyd, and Zelos asked at the same time.

Raine bite her lip.

They all looked to Raine expectantly. "Raine?" They said in unison.

Raine flinched. "It... it's not my place to say..."

"You know they won't tell us," Lloyd said, "and if it involves dad, then I have every right to know."

Raine sighed, looking away from the three men, though Genis was more of an almost man. "All right..."

They all listened intently to the female half-elf

"You see Yuan... he's... how do I say this..." Raine said, scratching her head.

They all leaned in to hear her, making her a little nervous.

"Ah... he's... I guess there's no easy way to say this... He's pregnant." Raine said finally, sighing.

Everyone stood there for a second before Zelos burst into laughter. However, when Raine gave him a harsh glare he quickly silenced himself.

"I'm sorry for laughing... I just, wow... are you serious?" He asked.

"Completely." Raine answered.

Lloyd leaned back blinking several times before he fell in a dead faint.

"Oh my goddess! Lloyd!" Both Raine and Zelos shouted, each rushing to his side. "Lloyd!"

"I had a strange dream, and you were in it, and you, and you..." He said pointing to all his friends. "Raine told me Yuan was pregnant."

"Um, Lloyd, hunny, that was no dream..." Zelos said.

"Oh..." Lloyd said, then fainted again.

"Well I think things have just gotten a little more interesting." Genis said before getting a smack from Raine.


	6. Right To Life

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Yoink! My next chapter! Enjoy!))

* * *

Right to life.

Soon, Lloyd came storming up the stairs, and nearly kicked down the door to Yuan's bedroom before he found out it wasn't locked. Kratos was sitting in a chair next to the bed, observing Yuan.

"Dad! Explain yourself!" Lloyd shouted, causing Kratos look up.

"Quiet, Lloyd. Yuan is sleeping." He replied sternly.

"Fine. Then let's have this talk in the hallway." The boy hissed, grabbing Kratos' hair and pulling him to his feet. The man didn't so much as flinch, though he did seem a bit startled. Lloyd dragged him all the way into the hallway before letting go and crossing his arms.

"I assume Raine has told you…" Kratos concluded, closing the bedroom door behind him.

"Yes. Yes she did." Lloyd growled, clenching his fists. "How could you do this us! To me and… and mom!"

"You didn't have any problems with our relationship before." Kratos replied simply.

"That was before you… How did you manage to get him pregnant anyway?" Lloyd seemed to be greatly confused and angered at the same time. Not a good combo.

"You see, Lloyd, when two people really love each other…" Kratos began.

"That's not what I mean!" Lloyd cut in hastily. "He's a man! How can he get pregnant?"

"A long, boring story that has to do with Mana exchange. Raine can explain it all much better than me." Kratos shrugged.

"Ask Raine to remove it." Lloyd said curtly.

"What?"

"You heard me. This whole thing is unnatural. So I'm sure that if you ask Raine, she can get rid of it for you." Lloyd said with narrowed eyes.

"I can't believe you're actually suggesting this." Kratos growled. "I knew you wouldn't take the news well, but to think that you'd stoop this low…"

"I really don't see a problem. Yuan is in pain because of this… baby." Lloyd seemed to have a lot of trouble with that last word.

"Don't you remember what you said in Torent forest back then?" Kratos asked, also crossing his arms. "From the moment they are born, everyone has a right to life."

"But that's different! This child... he shouldn't be born..." Lloyd's quieted at what he had just said.

"Lloyd, listen to me. I didn't mean for this to happen, but it did. A few months from now, if all goes well, you're going to have a little brother." Kratos said angrily.

"But…"

"No buts!" Kratos placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. "We'd really appreciate your support in this."

"Fine." Lloyd snorted after a long silence, before looking away. "Just don't expect me to baby-sit or whatever."

"Deal." Kratos said with a smile.

"Hurray!" Called a third voice, as Zelos rounded a corner, grinning widely.

"Zelos? How long have you been standing there?" Lloyd asked with a slight frown.

"Long enough." Zelos replied happily. "And now that everything's settled, I can prepare a little surprise!"

"Surprise? What are you-"

"Now now, you don't want me to ruin it, do you?" Zelos cut the boy off, still smiling mischievously.

* * *

About a week later, Zelos' mystery plan was unveiled. Just as Yuan had recovered for the most part, and wanted to step outside for some fresh air, he got a nasty shock. After he'd opened the front door, he found Zelos, Sheena, Raine, Colette and Presea standing on the other side. Zelos' hand was halfway to the doorbell. 

"What are you, a fortuneteller?" The ex-chosen asked, once again grinning widely.

"Why are you all here?" Yuan replied nastily, glancing at the group.

"Zelos told us about your pregnancy." Sheena said with a smile.

"And you know what that means, right?" Raine added.

"Do I _want_ to know?" Yuan sighed.

"Baby shower!" The group shouted in unison.

"Excuse me?" Yuan growled. "Baby showers are for pregnant women."

"Well, you're pregnant, and pretty close to a woman." Colette said happily.

Meanwhile, Kratos, who had appeared in the hallway, was trying very hard to restrain his laughter.

"Come on Yuan, let them have their fun. You can't get rid of them anyway." He said, chuckling.

"See? Kratos supports us." Sheena said brightly.

"Yup. And now he has to leave the house." Zelos added.

"What? Why?" Kratos asked, his silent laughter immediately disappearing.

"It's girls only!" Colette called.

"Then why can Zelos stay?" Kratos demanded.

"Because I organised this party! Duh!" Zelos replied as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I see…" Kratos headed for the door, patting Yuan on the back as he passed him. "Have fun."

"Can't I leave too?" Yuan asked hopefully.

"No." Zelos replied shortly, as the others entered the house and led Yuan to the living room.

* * *

"Presea, what the heck is that thing?" Yuan asked, as Presea carried a large package inside the room and everyone else sat down. 

"At a baby shower, it is customary to bring presents. So this is mine." The girl said blankly, placing the enormous gift on the floor. It was covered by a simple white blanket.

"Unwrap it, Yuan! Unwrap it!" Colette squeaked.

"Honestly, you didn't have to do this." Yuan complained.

"Stop being a party pooper." Zelos said crossly.

"Fine." Yuan got up and pulled the blanket away with one swift movement, to reveal a wooden cradle.

"I made it myself." Presea said, sitting down.

"Ah… Thank you." Yuan replied, admiring the fine craftsmanship.

"This one is mine!" Sheena called, tossing a small package to Yuan. He caught it and pulled off the wrapper.

"What is it?" he asked, holding it up.

"It's a traditional Mizuho talisman. If you hang it over the cradle, it'll ensure the child will grow up to be a strong warrior." Sheena said proudly.

"I'd rather he didn't have to fight, but thanks for the gesture." Yuan sighed, sitting down.

"Oh! Oh! Open mine next!" Colette called, holding out a medium sized gift. Yuan accepted it, and unwrapped. The entire room fell silent. It appeared to be some sort of plush mix between a bear and a pig. It seemed to have a slightly crooked face, and one of the legs was shorter than the other.

"It's a puppy! I made it myself!" Colette said cheerfully.

"Uhm… Thank you. It looks very nice." Yuan lied, quickly putting it aside.

"Gee, it'll be hard to top that, but I'll give it a shot anyway." Raine said with a smile, pulling a book out of her purse. "I'm sorry it's not wrapped."

"That's okay." Yuan said, accepting the book and turning it over. It didn't have a title.

"It's a collection of bedtime stories and legends I gathered during my travels. You wouldn't believe the difference between what the people from different worlds tell their children.

"Thank you. Thank you." Yuan said loudly, preventing Raine from going into ruin-mode.

"And last but not least…" Zelos tossed a small package in Yuan's lap.

The man unwrapped it, and soon a look of disgust appeared on his face. A look that was shared by the girls.

"I had my tailors make it. Isn't it wonderful?" Zelos asked, not noticing anything.

"Uhm… Gee, what a wonderful gesture." Yuan said, his voice breaking slightly as he stared at a baby-sized copy of Zelos' outfit. "Well, alright. Gifts are exchanged. Time to go home."

"Not so fast." Sheena said quickly.

"Yeah, now we have to drink herbal tea, and exchange funny pregnancy anecdotes." Colette added.

"So far, this pregnancy has been anything but funny." Yuan grunted, crossing his arms.

"Well, you can still serve us tea. And biscuits!" Colette called. The others agreed firmly.

Yuan sighed inwardly. This was going to be a long party.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Did you enjoy reading it? Then review!)) 


	7. Head Over Feet

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Hey, thanks for all the reviews so far! You guys rule! Niffe's next, so enjoy her chapter!))

* * *

Head over feet.

"So Yuan..." Zelos said, smiling as he helped the Half-elven angel clean up after the party.

"Yes...?" Yuan said with a slightly annoyed glare. So far every time Zelos opened his mouth there was a suggestion that usually resulted in a major headache for him.

"Well... I was thinking, whose last name is this kid going to take?" Zelos asked simply.

Yuan stared at him, a little shocked. "Last name?" He mumbled. "I... never thought of that..."

"Really, well since you guys aren't married I figured maybe the kid'd take yours." Zelos said shrugging.

Yuan went silent for a moment, and just when Zelos thought maybe Yuan had gone into shock or something, he sighed shaking his head and slumping into a nearby chair. He laughed under his breath. "I don't know... I can't have the child take my last name."

Zelos tilted his head curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I don't have one." Yuan said, gazing at the far wall.

"How can you not have one?" Zelos asked, now utterly confused.

"I've never had a last name. I was the product of rape." Yuan said, eyes still staring far away. "My mother never wanted me, never gave me her last name."

"Tha-that's..." Zelos couldn't even form a complete a sentence.

"I never should have been born... and it seems that's a trend that I follow." Yuan said glancing at his swollen stomach. "How... humorous."

"Yuan..." Zelos said, compassion filling his eyes.

"Ha... listen to me, this isn't like me at all. I'm never so depressant." Yuan said, shaking his head.

"I get what you're saying though Yuan." Zelos said. "My parents, neither of them wanted me either."

"Really?" Yuan said looking at him.

"Yeah, it's also the reason I fell in love with Lloyd." Zelos said smiling faintly. "He told me he was happy I was alive and that he wanted me to continue living."

"You're lucky to have him." Yuan said smiling gently.

"I know." Zelos replied. He turned to Yuan. "So the kid'll take Kratos' last name then?"

Yuan looked away. "I... I'm not sure. I mean, all of this has been a big mess and I'm not sure Lloyd wants to share names with this child."

"You heard that huh?" Zelos said smiling sheepishly.

"How couldn't I? He was yelling. I might have even agreed with him, but I..." Yuan stopped mid-sentence.

"But you..." Zelos persisted.

"...I thought about all the half-elves who have suffered under that same scrutiny." Yuan answered. "I don't want this child to have to live like I did."

"I see what you mean." Zelos agreed. "Though I think you should talk to Kratos about this."

"Maybe." Yuan said, looking away.

"So, you think of a first name?" Zelos asked.

"...Yeah, I have." Yuan answered.

"Really? I wanna know!" Zelos said excitedly.

"Me and Kratos have come down to two names and have decided that it'll be decided on his eye colour." Yuan said, absently rubbing his hand over his stomach.

"Eye colour?" Zelos asked.

"If they're brown, then Farrell. If like mine, then Cayden." Yuan answered. "I'm kinda hoping for Farrell."

"Oh? Why's that." Zelos asked.

"Because it means the child will have Kratos' sexy eyes." Yuan said, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Really?" Zelos said smirking.

* * *

After being kicked out of his house, Kratos had gone to see his older son. He had found out where he and the red head ex-chosen had settled down from Colette. He made his way to the door, knocking on it twice before waiting for a reply. He didn't have to wait for long as after a 'I'm coming' was heard, then the door thrown open. 

"Dad?" Lloyd asked.

"Hello Lloyd, may I come in?" He asked.

"Sure!" Lloyd said enthusiastically, moving to the side so Kratos could enter. "What brings you here?"

"I got kicked out of the house by the baby shower party." Kratos answered.

"I see, so Zelos really did go though with his crazy plan." Lloyd said with a chuckle.

"Apparently. I pity Yuan. He never did like social functions." Kratos said, finding a seat and letting himself down. "So, how have you been?"

"I'm fine. How's yourself, and your better half?" Lloyd said smiling.

"I don't think that applies to me, as Yuan and I are not married." Kratos responded, a slightly annoyed tone in his voice.

"What's stopping you?" Lloyd asked.

"From what?" Kratos tilted his head quizzically.

"From marrying him?" Lloyd replied. "I mean, you love him, and you have a child on the way."

Kratos looked slightly bewildered. "I... I never thought about marriage." He answered honestly. "Gods, this is all so complicated."

"When has life ever been uncomplicated?" Lloyd asked with a laugh.

"Not for a long time..." Kratos said with a sigh.

"I think you should ask him." Lloyd said wisely, nodding his head.

"It's really not that easy Lloyd..." Kratos said sighing again. "I'm not sure if Yuan would even agree."

"Why wouldn't he? He is carrying your child... even if that is a little weird." Lloyd said.

Kratos didn't really know what to say to that. "Are you still angry at Yuan and I for that?"

"I don't know, I guess I'm a little angry." Lloyd answered.

"Are you still..." Kratos began but was abruptly cut off.

"No, I'm angry at myself." Lloyd snapped. "I can't believe after everything that's happened I could still say something like that, especially about someone I know!" He hung his head. "I fought so hard to make people stop thinking like that, then I go and do the exact same thing."

"Should it be me that you're apologizing to though?" Kratos said calmly.

Lloyd blinked at him. Laughing lightly, he agreed. "You're right, it's Yuan and the unborn child who deserves my apologies."

Kratos smiled, standing up and offered Lloyd his hand.

Lloyd returned the grin, and took his hand.

* * *

"Finally... done..." Zelos whined. 

"You barely even did anything!" Yuan growled at him. "After five minutes you just got the maids to clean up, while flirting with them!"

Zelos shrugged. "Oh well, it got done, ne?"

"...You're an idiot." Yuan said glaring.

"So cruel, after I went though all that trouble to make that baby-shower." Zelos said dabbing at non-existent tears.

Yuan glared at him. "That I didn't even want..."

"Ha... blame your fate." Zelos said smirking, striking what could almost be called a Kratos pose... if there wasn't so much hip thrust involved.

"Are you mocking me?" Kratos said from behind Zelos.

"Ack!" Zelos squeaked. "Don't DO that!"

Kratos glared at him, and Zelos quickly started fidgeting under the scrutiny. Lloyd however came to his rescue. "Hey Zelos, how'd the party go?"

"Ah, wonderful love." Zelos said with a big smile. "You should have seen Yuan. One time someone, who will remain nameless, tried to take Yuan's cake from him. You know, as a joke. Well, Yuan didn't take to kindly to that. He stabbed them with his plastic fork!"

"Oh my goddess, really?" Lloyd said with a laugh.

"It was my cake!" Yuan pouted. "She had no right to try to take it!"

"A bit of a grumpy mood then..." Kratos said with a sigh.

"Yep, have fun!" Zelos said gleefully.

"Wait Zelos, before we go I have to apologize." Lloyd said. He walked up to Yuan, and smiled weakly. "Yuan, I'm sorry about what I said about your child." He said to him.

Yuan met Lloyd's eyes, then shifted to Kratos, and once to Zelos, before settling on Lloyd again. "What brings this up."

"I just... what I said, it was disgusting! It went against everything we've been trying to do!" Lloyd answered.

Yuan stared at Lloyd for a moment, before a slight smile over took him. "Apology accepted."

"Thank you." Lloyd said, smiling sincerely.

"Aww!" Zelos cooed. "A happy ending!" He ducked out of the way of Kratos' swing for his head, then laughing down the halls, he called to Lloyd that he'd be waiting outside.

"I hope that your pregnancy goes well." Lloyd said, then left the two of them alone.

"Well that was an interesting five minutes." Kratos said off-hand.

"Indeed, now help me up to my room so I can lay down. I think this has been a little too long for my likes." Yuan said sighing.

"Indeed." Kratos agreed.


	8. Ambience

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! Yaaay!  
**Niffe:** Go Meowzy go!  
**Meowzy:** And go I shallt!))

* * *

Ambience.

A few days passed, and nothing interesting happened. Though Zelos' question about the last name still lingered in Yuan's mind, he tried not to give it any thought. He had noticed Kratos acting a bit odd since Lloyd had apologized, but the man didn't give any other indication as to what he was thinking.

One day, out of the blue it seemed, Kratos had locked himself in the kitchen and dining room, where not he, or any of the butlers were allowed to cross. He was curious but didn't pry too much. He was frequently getting back pains and more and more had to remain sitting.

"Yuan, would you care to join me in the kitchen for a minute?" Kratos asked, leaning against the doorpost as Yuan was reading a book.

"Why?" the blue-haired man asked, wondering if something was wrong.

"You'll see." Kratos smiled lightly.

Yuan sighed, and slammed his book shut. He pushed himself up from the chair he'd been sitting in, still slightly confused.

"Why are you being so mysterious?" he asked, joining Kratos.

The human said nothing, but led him to the kitchen. Yuan's eyes widened slightly as the door opened. The curtains had been closed, so that the only bright sources of light were two candles. The table had been set for two.

"I thought we'd have a nice, candlelight dinner." Kratos said with a grin.

"You're just a hopeless romantic, aren't you?" Yuan chuckled.

"Oh, you found me out." Kratos feigned shock.

"Well, alright then." Yuan approached the table, and his lover pulled back a chair for him. "You know it'd be unwise for me to drink alcohol, right?" he asked, staring at the wineglasses.

"Yes. Which is why I got cranberry juice." Kratos said proudly, holding up the bottle.

"Awww… I haven't had that in years." Yuan smiled widely, as Kratos filled his glass with the sweet substance.

* * *

An hour later, the two had finished eating. Kratos had made sure everything was suitable pregnancy food, leaving Yuan quite impressed. 

"I'm stuffed…" he sighed, patting his stomach. "That had to be one of the most perfect dinners in my life."

"Nothing is too good for you." Kratos reached across the table to take Yuan's hand in his own.

"Ah, stop it. You're making me blush." Yuan faked a girlish giggle.

"No, no. I'm serious."

"You didn't break anything, did you?" Yuan asked, suddenly suspicious.

Kratos chuckled mischievously. "What makes you say that?"

"You're just trying to get on my good side, and then you're going to quickly dump the bad news on me when I least expect it." Yuan glared at him.

"No. No bad news." Kratos shook his head softly.

"Hmmhmm…" Yuan leaned back, noticing that his lover was acting slightly nervous.

"Yuan, you know I love you, right?" he began.

"Yes, and I love you too. Are you sure you didn't-"

"Shh. Just… let me finish, okay?" Kratos cut him off.

Yuan crossed his arms and stared at him expectantly.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Not just as your lover, and father of our child. So…"

Kratos pushed himself to his feet, and sank to a knee again in front of Yuan. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a small black box. Yuan's eyes widened.

"W-will you marry me?" Kratos blushed heavily, and opened the box to reveal a smooth, silver ring.

Yuan seemed to be caught in a state of shock, his jaw dropping slightly. He quickly caught himself. "I… Y-yes! Yes I will!"

Kratos smiled widely, not quite believing his ears. "Really?"

"Ofcourse!" Yuan held out his arms. "Come here, you."

Kratos pulled his new fiancée into a tight hug, before they shared a passionate kiss. After a while, they both broke off, breathing heavily. Kratos reached for Yuan's hand, and slipped the ring around his finger.

"How much more of our 'good news' do you think your son can handle?" Yuan asked, suddenly smiling brightly.

"He's the one who suggested it." The human responded, shrugging lightly.

"Ah…" Yuan suddenly looked crestfallen.

"What's wrong?" Kratos asked in a surprised voice.

"Now I can't shake the idea that you're marrying me because your son told you to." Yuan stared blankly at the floor.

"I'm marrying you because I love you." Kratos said earnestly. "I would never marry because someone else told me to do so."

"Ah… Good. That's good." Yuan stared blankly at the ring on his finger.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kratos enquired.

"S-stupid mood swings." The blue-haired man muttered suddenly, wiping a tear from his face.

Kratos laughed heartily, and hugged him again. Yuan sniffed lightly, burying his face in his lover's shoulder. With just that, a previous problem had been solved. Not just their son, but Yuan too, would have Kratos' last name.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Slightly short chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed it.)) 


	9. We Live By Moving Forward

((A/N: **Niffe:** Well, we're avoiding actually doinga wedding chapter again. We're just lazy.  
**Meowzy:** -_evil snigger_-  
**Niffe:** Not sure it'll happen like you expect. Every time I write a chapter, it kinda takes a life of its own...

* * *

We live by moving forward.

"Marriage?" Zelos nearly shouted at the newly engaged lovers. "Great, I just finished a baby shower, now I'll have to set up a bachelors party."

Lloyd shook his head. "I'm sure you'll make do." He said to his distraught lover.

Yuan glared at the man while Kratos sighed leaning back in his chair.

"I don't think we need another party from you Zelos." Yuan said with a glare.

"But that wouldn't be fair Yuan." It was Lloyd who stood up for his lover's crazy idea. "I mean, _you_ had a party..."

"That I didn't want!" Yuan interrupted.

"But you still had it!" Zelos said with a smile, dodging an aim for his head.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Kratos deserves one too." Lloyd said with a nod.

Yuan sighed. "Fine, as long as it doesn't involve me, do whatever."

"Then that settles it!" Zelos declared. "I'll set up a bachelors party."

"Have fun." Yuan said, patting Kratos' back.

* * *

A week later all the 'preparations', as Zelos kept calling them, were made and Kratos was hauled, nearly kicking and screaming, out of his house. 

"This isn't necessary." He kept saying to Lloyd and Zelos, who would quickly dismiss such thoughts.

A half-an-hour later trip through on a rheaird and several attempts to escape later, Zelos Lloyd and Kratos arrived at a club just inside Meltokio.

"This place looks..." Kratos couldn't really find the word he was searching for. "...interesting..."

"I know eh? Took forever to get reservations." Zelos said proudly.

Kratos sighed, staring at it. "Do I really have to go in?"

"Of course old man, this is your last night as a bachelor!" Zelos said smirking.

"Yeah, come on dad!" Lloyd said smiling, it'll be great just wait.

"I won't hold my breath..." Kratos mumbled as he was dragged in.

* * *

"What a party eh?" Zelos said, obviously drunk off his rocker. He was getting a lap dance from one of the strippers. He wasn't sure, but Kratos could have sworn he knew the guy... 

Lloyd might have made more of a fuss, but he too was being fondled by a couple of strippers, not all female...

Kratos sighed, he didn't want to be here, watching his son and companions getting fondled, groped, and losing all their cash in the process. He wasn't sure, but he thought one of the strippers was getting awfully friendly with Zelos, and kept trying to lure him into the back rooms.

Rubbing his face with his hand, he walked over to Zelos and attempted to pull off the hooker. "Excuse me..." He said, glaring darkly at the man.

"Get lost loser, this one's mine!" The man shouted back.

Kratos stared at the man, studying him. "... Neil?"

"... H-How do you know my name?" The man stuttered.

"Neil... what are doing here? I thought you held office." Kratos said with an exasperated sigh.

"Not since Palmacosta was destroyed." Neil said with a bitter tone in his voice. "This is the only job I could find!"

"What about your..." Kratos started.

"You mean references? I'm the old Governor-General of destroyed city, please take pity upon my soul and hire me." Neil said, now off Zelos' lap and in Kratos' face.

"I'm sorry to hear, but you could get a job with the king..." Kratos suggested.

"Didn't you hear my speech!" Neil said, his face turning red.

Kratos sighed, running his hand through his hair again. "I think the guy you were just giving a lap dance to could help you."

"What do you mean?" Neil asked.

"Well, when he's sober and you're not dressed like a hooker, I could introduce you and he could probably get you a job in office. You'd have to work your own way up." Kratos said.

"You'd... do that for me...?" Neil said.

"Only if you help me get these idiots to that one's house." Kratos said.

"I will! Just let me get dressed!" Neil nearly shouted, running into the back rooms and getting dressed. He ran back, and helped Kratos get all his companions to Zelos' house.

Kratos thanked him and said that he left a note with Zelos, and that he'd call in the morning to make sure he got it. After many thank you's from Neil, Kratos headed back to his home.

* * *

Yuan was curled up on a chair when Kratos came home. He was lightly dozing off. 

Kratos smiled, walking over to him and easily picking him up. "Yuan..."

Yuan woke groggily in Kratos' arms, blinking cutely and looking up at his fiancée. "Kratos...?"

"Hey." Kratos said with a smile.

"Wh-" Yuan was interrupted by a yawn. "What time is it?"

"Half past four." Kratos answered.

"That late?" Yuan shouted in surprise.

"I had to get all the idiots home, though I did get some help." Kratos answered. "You wouldn't know him."

"Oh..." Yuan said with another yawn.

"What are you doing up?" Kratos asked him. "I would have thought you'd have gone to bed ages ago."

"I wanted to wait for you..." Yuan said with another yawn.

"You shouldn't have..." Kratos lightly scolded him.

"I wanted to..." Yuan said, dozing off again. "I wanted to see you... make sure you'd come home..."

"Yuan..." Kratos said, smiling down at his sleeping lover. He placed him in bed, making sure he was comfortable, then undressed himself to lay beside him. "Goodnight love... I can't wait till the day you'll be mine only..."

* * *

((**Niffe:** I wonder if I'll ever write fluff, instead of just adding angst to it.)) 


	10. Day Before The Bells

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! Heh, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I got to add lots of subtle jokes, and... Well... Yeah. I hope you'll enjoy reading it. Thanks for all the reviews up to now! Though I think one of you might've been under the impression that the fic was over already. It's far from over.))

* * *

Day before the bells.

A few days after the bachelor party, Yuan found himself in the bathroom experiencing morning sickness, as usual. Strange how it was called morning sickness, when you could have it in the afternoon too. But the worst part, to Yuan, was that he was now in the middle of his fourth month, and starting to show. It was extremely hard for him to find pants that still fitted, leaving him with the nasty thought that was getting fat. His back aches weren't subduing that concern either.

Thinking he should go for a walk, he opened his front door to once again see a group of familiar faces.

"_You_ again?" he hissed.

"Just like last time, Zelos had to tell us the good news. How come you never give us a call when something life changing happens to you?" Sheena demanded.

Just like a few weeks before, the four girls and Zelos were standing on Yuan's doorstep.

"Because you people are not a part of my life?" Yuan asked sarcastically.

"Awww, he's suffering from moodswings!" Colette squeaked.

"Anyway, you're getting married! And you know what that means, right?" Raine asked.

"I get to grab a broom and sweep you off my doorstep?" Yuan crossed his arms in an impatient way.

"Wedding shower!" the group shouted in unison.

"I'm having a major feeling of deja-vu mixed with headache." Yuan mumbled.

"Sheena and Colette organised it, but ofcourse they'd be nowhere without the help of the great Zelos!" Zelos said proudly.

"Oh, hush. You hardly did anything at all!" Sheena hissed.

"Well, just get inside so we can get this over with." Yuan held the door open for the group, but they didn't budge.

"Don't be silly! We're not having the party here!" Colette giggled.

"Yeah, we've got a place all set up." Zelos said cheerfully, grabbing Yuan's wrist.

And so Yuan was hauled, nearly kicking and screaming, out of his house. Their destination… Meltokio!

* * *

"I'm going to kill you all." Yuan growled, as his eyes fell upon the pink decorations that adorned Zelos' house. 

"You're welcome." The ex-chosen said, leading Yuan to a chair.

"So, what now?" the 'guest of honour' inquired.

"We exchange gifts, and later on amusing anecdotes while we eat sweets, and assure you that marriage is a wonderful thing." Presea responded blankly.

"It's no fun when you say it like that!" Zelos called, laughing in a way Yuan found extremely annoying.

"Here! Here! Open mine first!" Colette was immediately standing in front of Yuan, shoving a present into his hands.

Still not quite over the mauled plushie Colette gave him last time, Yuan blindly pulled off the paper. Holding it at a safe distance, he cautiously peeked at the gift with one eye.

"It's a… pepper and salt shaker set?" Raine asked slowly.

"I heard they're traditional wedding gifts. And look, they're shaped like puppies!" Colette smiled happily.

"Uhm… Thank you very much…" Yuan quickly placed the pepper and salt shakers on the table.

"Well, I'm not sure if my present is as… practical as Colette's, but… I hope you'll enjoy it anyway." Sheena tossed a small package into Yuan's lap, smiling faintly.

Yuan unwrapped the gift, and a cloth amulet fell into his outstretched hand.

"Another talisman?" he inquired.

"Yup! You have to place this one underneath your pillow, and it'll ensure that you will have an excellent love life with your partner until the day you die." Sheena grinned cheekily, as Zelos let out a low whistle.

"You are under the impression that Kratos and I need this?" Yuan asked, slightly offended.

"Better safe than sorry." The raven-haired girl shrugged.

"Hey Sheena, could I have a few of those?" Zelos asked in a sweet voice.

"You're not afraid Lloyd would cheat on you, are you?" Sheena inquired, just as sweetly.

"Ah, nevermind." Zelos pouted.

"You're going to enjoy this one." Raine held out a small present too.

"What is this, toothpaste?" Yuan asked, running his fingers across the paper. Raine looked away innocently in response.

Raising an eyebrow, Yuan tore off the wrapper, and a completely blank expression appeared on his face.

"Special Sybak lotion. Rose-scented and extra… slippery." Raine bit her bottom lip to suppress a smile.

"Oh! Me and Lloyd use that stuff too! It's really good! Especially when you-" Zelos broke off when everyone was staring at him.

"Why would you want your hands to be slippery?" Colette asked, deeply confused.

"It uh… Can be other in other instances too." Raine explained, coughing.

"… Ohhhh!" It finally dawned on the girl, and she turned a deep crimson.

"My gift is considerably less awkward." Presea said, breaking the silence. She pointed to a fine wooden wine rack with a bow around it. It was filled with five bottles. "I made it myself."

"You're really crafty, aren't you?" Yuan asked with a smile.

"Ah, no. It's not that special." Presea blushed lightly.

"And now, the best gift of them all! Mine!" Zelos called, causing everyone to scowl.

"Arrogant pervert." Sheena mumbled to herself.

Zelos pushed a box adorned with a dark red wrapper into Yuan's hands, and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Don't open it until you're alone, or with Kratos. I don't want to upset the girls."

Immediate chaos erupted, as the girls started to shout at Zelos, and Yuan tried to get the mystery box as far away from him as possible. Eventually, Sheena stopped yanking Zelos' hair, and Colette stopped demanding to know what the present was.

"Jeez, give a guy some privacy." Zelos whined, nervously patting his hair.

"Let's eat cake next!" Colette called, skipping towards the dessert table.

"Oh, great idea!" Sheena said, as she wandered over to the table too, to be followed by Raine.

"Seriously, Zelos, what's in the box?" Yuan whispered.

"Assorted 'pleasure enhancers' I got from my favourite store." Zelos smirked, causing Yuan to shiver. "Oh, don't worry. They're excellent quality. I buy that sort of stuff for Lloyd too."

"I did _not_ need to know that." Yuan growled.

"He may not look like it, but Lloyd is actually really flexible." The redhead continued happily.

"Seriously, stop it! Too much information!" Yuan hissed loudly.

Zelos shrugged, and decided to get something to eat too. The dessert table was filled with all sorts of cakes, pies and chocolate éclairs. Most of it was either pink, wedding themed, or both.

"I'm not sure I can eat any of that stuff…" Yuan commented, but nobody except Presea heard.

A few minutes later, the girls and Zelos had returned to their seats. They were all happily eating sweets, causing Yuan to mutter angrily under his breath.

"So, has anyone got a cute wedding anecdote?" Colette asked, glancing around the group. Their eyes fell upon the only person at the party who was actually married.

Zelos looked up from his slice of cake, bearing an innocent expression. "Me?"

"Yes, you." Sheena said loudly.

"Uhmm… Well, most anecdotes are private information." He grinned evilly, causing Yuan, Raine and Sheena to gag. "But I can tell you this. Wedding creates a sort of… unbreakable bond between you and your lover. You'll feel more united." Zelos once again dropped his voice to a whisper. "And if Kratos is _half_ as good in bed as his son, you're going to _adore_ the honeymoon."

"I doubt I'll be able to enjoy the honeymoon in that way, since I'm pregnant." Yuan grunted moodily.

"Maybe Kratos will treat you to a second honeymoon later!" Colette said hopefully.

"Perhaps." Yuan yawned widely.

"Girls, our guest of honour is tired. Time to help him get home, and then return here to tear this place down ourselves." Zelos announced, clapping his hands.

"Finally." Yuan sighed, although he was grinning inwardly. He knew the fatigue trick would work.

* * *

((A/N: **Meowzy:** For those who were wondering where Kratos was during all of this... I have no clue.)) 


	11. Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love

((A/N: **Niffe:** Unkay, so like I am so surprised that I actually managed to chapter 11 without buggering off... I am proud of myself. Ahem Anyways, on to the story!))

* * *

Let's do it, let's fall in love.

Bells rang, children sang, and everyone scrambled around like wild chickens with their heads cut off as they tried to get ready for the big day. It had been nearly two weeks since Kratos had proposed to Yuan.

Yuan was showing quite a bit more in his pregnancy. He had to wobble about the area as the others got the place set up. He made his way to the dressing room designed for him.

He was nearly ambushed by a very hyper Sheena and Colette. "Where have you been!" They said in unison.

Yuan sighed and miserably replied. "I had to wobble my way here..." He pouted, sniffling lightly. "I'm getting fat..."

Sheena and Colette both looked at each other, then smiled. "Ah Yuan! That's so cute!"

"It's not cute!" Yuan shouted. "It sucks..." He said quietly, sniffling again.

"Come on Yuan, chin up! This is suppose to be a happy occasion!" Sheena said with a great big smile.

Yuan humphed. "Fine, let's get this over with."

"I thought the mood swings would be over by now." Sheena whispered to Colette who giggled lightly.

"I heard that!" Yuan shouted and the two girls winced.

* * *

After an hour of prep work, Yuan was finally dressed. He looked at himself in the mirror. "Not bad, glad it isn't a dress..." He mumbled. He lifted the only 'flowy' part of the outfit that dangled off to the side. The outfit was a dove white, nearly glowing in the sun. 

Sheena and Colette can back into the room carrying a box.

"Here." Colette said.

"It's not another mangled gift or charm is it...?" Yuan said, looking at the girls in suspicion.

"No silly, just open it." Colette said with a smile.

"Fine..." Yuan said with a sigh, opening the box. Inside was a white veil and a bouquet of white lilies. Yuan blinked at the two items. He carefully set the box on the table and took the contents out. "... What are these for...?" He asked, nearly dumbfounded.

"Well you wear the veil and you hold the lilies." Colette said with a warm smile.

Yuan paused for a moment, simply staring at the objects.

Sheena and Colette looked at each other then back at Yuan. "Yuan?" Colette asked softly.

"It's really happening... isn't it?" He said so quietly that Sheena and Colette had to strain to hear. "I'm really... getting married..."

Colette and Sheena smiled warmly at their companion. "Yeah, who would have guessed, eh?"

"Not me... not since Martel..." Yuan said, sniffling slightly. "I... I thought I had left my happiness behind..." He started to shake. "I never thought..."

"Well, there's a man out there waiting to make you his only, to give you what you lost." Colette said wisely.

Yuan smiled as a tear ran down his cheek. "Yes, and now I think I can..." He wiped away the tear. "I can have what I lost..." He turned to the women. "I'm ready, could you help me put it on?"

Sheena nodded and Colette wiped away one of her own tears. They put the veil on Yuan's head, amongst his decorated hair. They handed him the flowers, then taking an arm each, led him to the hall. There they met Lloyd who smiled sweetly at Yuan. The two girls went and took their places amongst the brides maids.

Lloyd sighed "Ready Yuan?"

"As I'll ever be..." Yuan said, attempting to calm his rapidly beating heart. He shook slightly as Lloyd took his arm and began to lead him down the aisle. A gentle music took the air as Yuan approached and everyone turned to look at him.

Yuan recognized many of the faces. There were angels and renegades that he once, and some he still did, work with. He looked straight ahead to see Kratos, standing beside Regal, looking straight at him. Yuan couldn't help but blush and be thankful that he had a veil to keep his face from being seen. He saw Genis in his suit and couldn't help but think how much the boy had grown.

On the other side the girls all stood, smiling at him. They were all beautiful, in lovely orchid coloured dresses. Yuan smiled they all to had grown lovely, including Presea and Colette.

He looked back at Kratos who stood in what could almost be identical to his judgement outfit, however it lacked the usual belts. He looked breath taking. Yuan blushed and was once again thankful for the veil.

He moved up beside him, Lloyd moving beside Regal and Genis. The priest began his speech, going on for hours about love and the 'holy matrimony'. After he finished he said 'make your vows'.

Kratos turned to Yuan with the gentlest smile Yuan had ever seen on him, and spoke his vow. "I, Kratos, take you, Yuan, to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my love from this day forward."

Yuan blushed a light shade of pink. After taking in a shaky breath he looked straight at Kratos and smiled, saying his vow. "I, Yuan, take you Kratos, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Kratos blushed in turn, wide smile taking his face.

The priest spoke, "In the name of the great goddess Martel, the Yggdrasil tree, and all that is holy I announce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Kratos lifted the veil from Yuan's head eyes shining with love and adoration. "Yuan..." He whispered, breath taken by the beautiful half-elf. He leaned down and kissed him.

The world seemed to stop for a moment as they kissed each other in sweet passion. Kratos lifted on hand and placed it behind Yuan's head, Yuan moved his hands around Kratos' waist. Their kiss lasted one minute before they both pulled away, a single tear making its way down Yuan's face.

Then a roar was heard as the crowed cheered wildly. Yuan and Kratos ran out of the church, rice raining on them from friends and family. At the doors leading to the exit of the church Kratos lifted Yuan up and carried them to the awaiting carriage. All the people cheered as the carriage began to move away. Yuan threw the bouquet of flowers out the window and Presea caught them.

Yuan turned to Kratos once he finished. "Kratos, I love you."

"I love you too Yuan." Kratos said, leaning in and kissing Yuan again.

"Now, let's go to the party." Yuan said with a smirk.

* * *

((**Niffe:** Yep, way shorter than my usual...  
**Meowzy:** But sooo gewd! And now I have to write the wedding party. This means trouble for Meowzy-chan, who's never been to a decent wedding party.)) 


	12. What Words Can't Say

((A/N: **Meowzy**: I'm sorry it took so long! I was out to London for the weekend, and I had a bit of writers block, and... Well... I'll stop the excuses now. Enjoy!))

* * *

What Words Can't Say.

A short while later, everyone had gathered around a huge dinner table in one of the training gyms at the Triet base. It was the only place large enough to host so many people. The room had been decorated heavily by Lloyd and his friends, and Zelos had even gone through the trouble to book a band. All the guests were chattering amongst each other excitedly, continuously throwing awed glances at the newlyweds.

Eventually, Kratos got to his feet and tapped his fork against his glass to get everyone's attention. Sadly, he had miscalculated his own angelic strength, causing the glass to shatter. Everyone immediately looked his way as he helplessly dropped the fork again and Yuan hid a smile behind his hand.

"Ah… Now that I have everyone's attention…" he began, running a hand through his hair. "I'd like to thank you all for coming. Yuan and I really appreciate it. The food should be served any minute now, so… Everyone can feel free to eat as much as they like."

"Except for our lovely _bride_, who has to avoid just about anything in his condition." Zelos called loudly, causing everyone except Yuan to laugh.

"How would you like to have a taste of my _fist_?" he retorted, getting to his feet.

Kratos quickly placed a hand on Yuan's shoulder, pushing him into his chair again. "Now, now, Zelos. You know Yuan has to avoid stress. But I'm afraid that once he starts to beat you up, I won't be able to stop him."

Zelos quickly gulped and looked down at his plate, while everyone started to laugh again. At that exact moment, the doors opened and a large group of chefs came marching in, carrying plates or pushing food trolleys.

"Dinner has arrived." Kratos announced, taking his seat again.

Soon, everyone had started eating, exchanging boring stories and gossip. Even Regal had to admit that the food tasted good. But, just like Zelos had said, Yuan had to pay close attention to what he was eating. He spent most of his time trying to spoon-feed Kratos, much to the enjoyment of all the girls at the table.

By the time most people had finished eating and Zelos had drained his fifth glass of wine, Lloyd got to his feet and thwacked his glass in the same way Kratos had. Everyone turned their heads to stare at him.

"Hi! Uhm… As the son, I feel it's my duty to give a speech. So… Here goes." Lloyd took a deep breath, trying to remember the speech he'd worked out. "When I first heard about Yuan being pregnant, I got… quite a shock. I'm sure most of you did. But when dad decided to propose to him, I felt better. Because… Uh… They're meant to be together. And…" Lloyd broke off, frowning. "I used to be so good at corny speeches, but now I can't really think of anything." He mumbled, causing everyone to laugh. "Zelos, have you got anything to add?" the boy asked, nudging his husband.

"Oh, you bet!" Zelos said loudly, getting to his feet. It's obvious he was starting to get drunk. "When I first saw those two, I knew they'd make the best couple ever. Lots of chemistry, you know. Why, I remember that one time when I walked in on them at the Renegade base, while they were- Ow!" the ex-chosen broke off when he received a punch on the arm by Lloyd. He quickly took his seat again.

"So… Let's all raise our glass to the newlyweds!" Lloyd suggested, picking up his glass. The other guests nodded excitedly and did the same. "To Kratos and Yuan Aurion!"

"To Kratos and Yuan Aurion!" everyone chanted loudly, clanging their glasses together. Zelos immediately drained his sixth glass of wine in one gulp.

"Look! It's the cake!" he announced drunkenly, pointing to the door. Everyone turned to see a group of chefs pushing a large, frosted cake into the room. They instantly started clapping.

"That's the biggest cake I've ever seen…" Kratos said in awe.

"You just like torturing me, don't you?" Yuan asked grumpily, crossing his arms.

"Awww, come on. You can have one piece of cake. It is a special occasion, afterall." Kratos got up from his chair and extended a hand to his lover.

Yuan sighed, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. They both approached the cake and the head chef handed Kratos a knife.

"Seems like a shame to cut something so good." Kratos said, admiring the size of the cake again.

Yuan, meanwhile, was staring at the cake topper. An exact miniature of Kratos and himself, holding hands. They were perfect copies, right down to the eye colour.

"Do you like it?" Lloyd asked, noticing what Yuan was staring at. "I made it, with the help of Presea. It took us five whole days!"

"I'm not really that fat, am I?" Yuan huffed, crossing his arms.

"Ah… No! Uh…" Lloyd stuttered, trying to find an easy way out. He was spared the need to, when everyone suddenly started chanting and banging the table.

"Let's get this over with." Kratos sighed. They both wrapped a hand around the knife's hilt and made a perfectly straight cut in the cake. The guests started cheering like mad.

* * *

Sadly, the cake fun was ruined after only a few slices had been handed out, because Colette managed to trip and fall directly into the cake, splattering frosting everywhere. Her stream of apologies continued the rest of the evening, though everyone stopped listening to her after five minutes. 

To distract everyone from the cake catastrophe, Zelos signaled the band to start playing. Immediately, all heads turned to the married couple expectantly. Kratos was the first one to get the hint.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, holding out his hand to Yuan again.

"Naturally." Yuan replied with a smile.

Holding hands, they wandered onto the dance floor. Kratos placed his right hand on Yuan's waist and Yuan placed his left hand on Kratos' back. The guests started to jeer and even whistle, as the newlyweds began to waltz.

It wasn't long before other couples started to join in. Though the dance between Lloyd and Zelos appeared to be more like drunken swinging. They look up half the dance floor, swirling around all over the place.

Ofcourse, the evening didn't consist of dancing alone. Nearing the end of the party, most guests had managed to get wasted. Even Kratos had passed out on the floor at one point. Yuan, however, wasn't allowed to drink alcohol. Being one of the only ones left sober, he was forced to talk to Colette.

"-And then Lloyd said that it was _hot_ coffee afterall! Hahaha, boy, did I feel silly!" The girl laughed.

"Fascinating." Yuan muttered, not really paying attention anymore.

Then, he suddenly felt a strange, shocking feeling in his belly. Was the baby kicking? No… Babies don't kick halfway through their fourth month. About ten seconds later, he felt it again.

"What is it?" Colette asked, noticing Yuan's blank stare.

"I think… the baby is hiccupping." Yuan waited for a few seconds. As expected, the strange feeling returned.

"That's not uncommon… I think. Raine once gave me a book about where babies come from, and pregnancies and stuff like that." Colette pondered.

"That's… That's amazing!" Yuan smiled, placing a hand on his stomach.

"Yeah, isn't it?" Colette stared into space with a dreamy expression.

Yuan turned in his seat, trying to locate Kratos. The man was lying on his back, a short distance away, apparently trying to count the dots on the ceiling. He seemed to be having a difficult time though, as he constantly squinted.

"Hey, Kratos! The baby is hiccupping!" Yuan called excitedly.

"Whuuuh?" Kratos sat up, looking slightly confused. "Ah darn. now I lost count again." He laid back down again, completely ignoring his new husband.

"Insensitive oaf…" Yuan muttered, looking away with huff.

"You'll have to tell him again when he's sober." Colette giggled. Then she stopped in mid-laugh, staring across the room where Zelos had hopped onto a table to start a striptease. Lloyd, who wasn't amused by this, gave the table a good shove, sending the red-head flying.


	13. Work And Play

((A/N: **Nife:** Well, I'm writing a chapter more! As you may have noticed my writing kinda went down hill. I sort of lost the inspiration, so here I am trying to get it back!

I hope you guys are enjoying and will continue to enjoy this fic that me and Meowzy are writing!

We do not own the characters portrayed, but the general concept of this story is ours, no steally.))

* * *

Work And Play.

"Freedom is always paid for in blood, and love is the only thing that heals the wound left behind." Kratos was speaking to the angels on Derris-Kharlan, making his speech of the past to re-awakened half-elves. "We are the wound, and through companionship and compassion we shall all be healed."

It was the third speech that Kratos had given that weekend alone. Several new cities for the angels had been established and now he was going around now to see how they were faring.

Upon arriving the angels had insisted that he stay. He had politely declined, but as a compromise he had given these inspirational speeches.

Though he was happy to see that the angels were doing well he longed to be home with his new wife and coming child. He said he'd be gone for the week and had left Yuan in Lloyd and Zelos' care, mainly to make sure Yuan didn't overexert himself on his own work again.

Still... Kratos sighed inside his head, he wanted to go home...

He finished his speech to be greeted with loud cheers. Seeing his hard work turn out so well it made the long hours seem worth while.

"Stirring speech!" One of the angel elders said. "Your hard work has truly shown in these villages!"

"Yes, thank you elder Mika." Kratos said with a nod. "Though this week has been a bit hard on me."

"Ah yes." Mika replied. "I have heard rumors that you have a new wife who holds your child."

"Then the rumors you heard are correct." Kratos said with a small smile.

"Oh ho!" Mika said merrily. "Is it someone I know?"

"Perhaps." Kratos answered. "Their name is Yuan."

"_The_ Yuan?" Mika said with a raise of his eyebrow.

"The one and only." Kratos laughed. "Though he'd loathe to admit that he's happy about being pregnant. Every time someone even mentions it he gets all defensive."

"Really?" Mika laughed. "Then he sounds as I remember him."

Kratos smiled. "He hasn't changed in four thousand years... Though this child has brought many of his softer and protective natures out."

Mika laughed. "Being a mother will do that to you."

* * *

Yuan was typing away a storm, doing report after report as he couldn't do any of the field work. 

"Yuan... don't you think you should be going to bed? It's getting late." Lloyd suggested.

"I've still got three more reports to do." Yuan said, not even turning his head.

"But it's almost midnight." Lloyd said with a sigh. "Kratos instructed me to take care of you."

"Take care of me later... I'm busy right now." Yuan said, still not turning to him.

Lloyd sighed. "YUAN!" He shouted. "You turn that off right now or I swear you will not get another carrot muffin with maple ice cream again!"

This time Yuan turned to him. "WHAT!" He snapped. "You! You monster!"

"Go-to-bed!" Lloyd growled.

Yuan glared at him harshly for **daring** to speak to him in that tone, but his desire for his favorite treat overrode his anger and he grudgingly obliged. "Fine!" He huffed and walked to his room.

Lloyd sighed again. "Damn, are pregnant women ever bitchy..."

"I heard that!" Yuan shouted from his room. He walked over to his bed in the large mansion grumbling. Deny him his treat indeed! The nerve of some people! He sat down in a huff, upset at both the fact that he couldn't get his reports done and the fact that he was being treated like a child.

Speaking of baby... he felt the child inside him stretch. He smiled to himself, it wouldn't be long now... four more months and he'd get to greet his newborn. He rubbed his belly.

"Getting your kicks in while you can still get away with it right? You're just like your father." He laughed, but it suddenly died when he got a terrible feeling of loneliness.

"Damn it! The mood swings should have pasted by now!" Yuan thought with a growl. "What the hell is wrong with me!" The baby kicked inside him again, a little harder and Yuan yelped. "What was that for!"

The door opened a Zelos peeked his head in. "What's all the yelling for?"

"I..." Yuan started with a growl, but ended with a sniffle. "I want to see Kratos!" He wailed, picking up a pillow and crying into it.

"Uh oh. Looks like we have a serious case of AAMB." Zelos said with a smile.

"AAMB?" Yuan said with a sniffle.

"Almost A Mother Blues." Zelos said with a smile. "I suggest chocolate ice cream with caramel and peanut butter."

"And almonds?" Yuan said with another sniffle.

"And almonds." Zelos agreed.

* * *

Yuan waddled about the house eating a banana covered in mustard. Many of the maids looked at his choice of a meal with horror/humor but he could care less. Today Kratos was coming home and he was ecstatic. He had been pacing, too restless to do any work, though he did get fifteen of the twenty needed files done. 

He had been feeling more agitated and tired lately, but he couldn't seem to get enough sleep. He wanted to cry more than he had ever in his life and it seemed like the only time he got a reprieve from the whirlwind of emotions was when he was near Kratos.

The baby kicked lightly and Yuan rubbed his stomach. "Hm, hungry again?" He said. "You're making me fat!" He pouted, waddling his way back to the kitchen for another banana, maybe with ketchup this time?

He smiled happily at the thought.

"Yuan!" Lloyd shouted running up the half-elf. "Kratos is back!"

"Really!" Yuan said just as excitedly. "Let's go then!" He took off at a quick waddle to the main door, which translates to about the speed of a normal person walking.

"Kratos!" He shouted when he saw the man walk through the doors. "You're back!"

"Yuan!" Kratos answered his happy call with one of his own. He ran up to his lover, embracing him tightly. "I'm glad to be home."

"Awe!" Zelos cooed. "How sweet! I think I just got a cavity!"

Yuan glared venomously at him, which quickly made him silence himself. "Oh Kratos!" He said turning back to Kratos with a sweet smile on. "I want you to feel something!"

"All right." Kratos said with a smile.

Yuan took his hand and placed it on his stomach. After a moment or so Kratos' eyes widened. "Yuan? Was that...?"

"Our child, he likes to stretch after he eats." Yuan said with an amused smile.

"Hm, seems he's like his old man." Kratos said with a laugh.

"Just as annoying too." Yuan said with a mock glare.

Kratos laughed. "I see you're a little cranky. Let's get you home and into a nice hot bath."

"Sounds delightful." Yuan said happily.

"Thank you for helping me Lloyd." Kratos said to his son.

"No problem." Lloyd said with a smile.

"All right Yuan, the carriage is waiting." Kratos said taking his wife's hand and helping them with the stairs.

As soon as they drove away Lloyd and Zelos gave a sigh of relief. "Thank Martel..." Lloyd said.

"My sentiments exactly." Zelos agreed.

"Well... now that we have the house to ourselves..." Lloyd said with a smile.

"Hmm... I like where this is going." Zelos said with a purr.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Yuan is acting sooo cute all of a sudden! Well, it's my turn again. Wish me luck, because I haven't even started yet...)) 


	14. Little Feet

((A/N: **Niffe:** Disclaimer: We do not own the characters depicted, or wal-mart. Though Niffe does like to go shopping there.  
**Meowzy:** Sorry it took so long! I was suffering from slight writersblock and when I finally finished, Niffe decided to add another half to the chapter, which took a few more days. Eheheh... We're sorry!))

* * *

Little feet.

"A baby room?"

"A baby room."

Yuan and Kratos were sitting in the kitchen, having breakfast. That is, until Yuan decided to interrupt it. Kratos was caught in a mild state of surprise, his fork halfway to his mouth.

"You want me to prepare a baby room _now_?" he asked.

"Kratos! We only have three months left! We need to get started as early as possible!" Yuan argued.

"Can I finish my breakfast first?" Kratos smiled lightly, pointing to his hardly touched omelet.

"Well… Alright." Yuan bowed his head to glance at his own breakfast. Toast with pancakes, jam and ketchup.

"Do you have a particular room in mind?" Kratos enquired.

"The guest room across the hall from our own, obviously." Yuan rolled his eyes. "You'll need to empty it, and then get it repainted and refurnished."

"_Me_? _I_ need to empty it?" Kratos asked blankly.

"Yeah, well, you won't see me dragging around heavy furniture. Unless you're trying to kill me." Yuan paused for a few seconds. "Are you trying to kill me, Kratos?"

"No! That's not what I meant." The human said quickly. "I meant; Why not get the maids to do it?"

"I wanted to see _you_ dragging around heavy furniture." Yuan admitted guiltily.

Kratos chuckled softly. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

A few hours later, the guest room had been completely emptied. Much to Yuan's dismay, Kratos had to ask the maids for help after a little while. Two person beds simply weren't meant to be carried by one person, no matter how sexy it looked. 

"What color should we repaint it?" Kratos asked, staring at the bland beige wallpaper.

"I was thinking along the lines of light lavender." Yuan pondered.

"You're aware we're having a _son_, right?" Kratos turned to face his wife with a frown.

"So? Lavender isn't just for girls. My wings are lavender too." Yuan argued.

"I'm… not going to give any comment on that." Kratos tried to hide a wide smile.

"Well, if you know so well, what color do _you_ suggest?" the half-elf snapped.

"Blue."

"Blue for a boy? What time do you live in?" Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"That is _such_ an old tradition."

"Which is why we should follow it." Kratos crossed his arms.

"You don't care about my opinion at all." Yuan sobbed, turning away.

Kratos sighed deeply. "Fine. We'll try another color."

"How about yellow?" Yuan asked.

"Nahhh… Yellow just… nah." Kratos shook his head softly.

"Valid point."

"How about simple white?"

"You want our son to be a boring librarian?" Yuan snapped.

"Ah… Okay, no white."

Yuan started pacing the room, thinking deeply. It had to be perfect, ofcourse.

"Red is out of the question, since it symbolizes blood. Purple, orange and green aren't a possibility either."

"Silver or gold?" Kratos asked.

"Ewww…" Yuan shuddered.

"How about emerald, like your eyes?"

"For a _baby_ room? What are you, _mad_?" Yuan looked shocked.

"Ah… It was just a suggestion…"

"Oh, I know! Light blue!" Yuan clasped his hands together.

"But isn't that the same as what I said at the start?" Kratos asked with a frown.

"Nooo. If you use light blue, nearing white, that's a completely different thing." Yuan nodded wisely.

"If you say so…" Kratos scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Well, let's get going." Yuan turned to leave.

"Where?"

"We need to get supplies and hire someone to help with the repainting. Or maybe we can just use new wallpaper. Then we need to start pre-ordering baby furniture. We already have a cradle, but we still need stuff like wardrobes and cabinets… And shelves. Can't forget shelves." Yuan paused for a second, thinking deeply. "We also need new curtains and baby clothes. I'll be damned if my son wears that _thing_ Zelos gave us at the baby shower."

Kratos groaned at the thought of an entire afternoon of extensive shopping. Well, atleast things wouldn't be so bad with Yuan there. Unless they got into an argument about the curtains.

* * *

Yuan had insisted that they go into each and every child clothing store, including one that had been recently built called Wal-Mart. "Look Kratos? Aren't they cute?" He laughed, holding up a pair of tiny boots. 

"Adorable." Kratos said with a half smile. Yuan certainly was getting into mothering thing.

Yuan smiled, looking through some of the other things. "Wah I want to buy it all!" Yuan happily squealed.

"And I'm certain the people would appreciate it too." Kratos said with a laugh.

"Kratos..." Yuan said, stopping.

"What is it love?" Kratos asked, suddenly worried.

"The babies... he's kicking." Yuan said, rubbing his stomach.

"What? Really?" Kratos asked, rushing over to his love. "Did you just feel it?"

"Yeah, right here!" Yuan shouted happily, taking his hand and placing it on his swollen abdomen.

Kratos waited for about five minutes till he felt something bump against his hand. "Holy... that's him?" He stared, wide eyed at Yuan.

"That's our baby." Yuan said with a smile, a tear making its way down his face.

"Our baby..." Kratos said, still in awe.

They both blinked and looked over when they saw an old couple chuckling. "Ah, the feeling of a new child..." The woman said. "One of the best feeling around."

Yuan blushed. "I know..."

The older man laughed. "You seem to be quite the pair."

Kratos smiled. "Yes. Newlyweds actually."

"New wife and family eh? You're going to be very busy." The man laughed.

"I've been enjoying it thus far." Kratos said with a laugh.

Yuan blushed a darker shade, which made the old couple laugh.

"Well, we'll leave the youngsters alone." The man said. "Good day."

Yuan and Kratos nodded and said their goodbyes.

"Do you think we'll be together like that?" Yuan asked.

"You mean old and grey?" Kratos asked.

"No fool, happy for a long time." Yuan answered, whacking Kratos on the head.

"Yes... I really do." Kratos answered.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** The whole walmart thing is written by Niffe, everything before that was written by me!)) 


	15. Splash Of Color

((A/N: **Niffe:** Well, I'll try to give this a try but Meowzy's not being very helpful...  
Eh heh, here I go trying to write a chappy... if someone gives me encouragement than maybe it'll go smoothly.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
**Meowzy:** Eep! I'm sorry Niffe! I didn't know I was doing anything wrong!))

* * *

Splash Of Color.

"Arggghhhh!" A scream ripped through the house of the Aurion's once again, and once again it was accompanied by nearly insane laughter.

"Yuan!" Kratos shouted at his lover.

"Yes?" Yuan said with an innocent smile.

"Don't act cute with me!" Kratos glared at him. "You painted my head!"

"I thought you needed a bit of color." Yuan said mischievously.

"Yuan!" Kratos shouted, then proceed to chase the nearly squealing half-elf out of the room and down the hall. He was surprised at how fast Yuan could go considering the fact that he was showing so much now and most of the time all he could do was hopelessly waddle.

Yuan turned a corner and ran into their room, slamming the door shut.

"Yuan!" Kratos shouted angrily, beating his fists against the door. "You little, little, YOU LITTLE HALF-ELF!"

"Sticks and stones." Yuan said from the other side, still laughing hysterically.

"I swear one of these days!" Kratos muttered. "Fine! I'm going to lock you in there so I can actually get some work done!" He growled, and took a chair and placed it under the door handle.

"Wait! Kratos! You can't lock me in here!" Yuan shouted, immediately stopping his giggles.

"I think I just did!" Kratos shouted back, a mischievous chuckle in his voice. He walked away listening to Yuan's howls of protest.

* * *

Kratos later unlocked the door when he had gotten the room painted and himself cleaned up (though that was a task and a half to accomplish.) He opened the door and peeked in on Yuan to see the half-elf asleep on their bed. He smiled gently, padding over to him and sat down gently beside him. "Yuan...?" He asked quietly. 

Yuan murmured something in his sleep before turning over.

Kratos chuckled lightly. "Yuan, it's me." He said quietly. "It's time to go eat."

Yuan mumbled again, before opening one eye and looking up at him. "Kratos."

Kratos smiled gently. "Yes, time to go eat."

"Okay..." Yuan said, slowly getting up. "What do we have to eat?" Looking at him.

"I was thinking of some ravioli." Kratos said. "And maybe some apple pie to accompany it."

Yuan's eyes lit up. "That sounds delightful!"

"Then we could take a stroll through your gardens." Kratos continued.

"Okay, that's a little too romantic, what did you do?" Yuan's said, suddenly suspicious.

"I finished the room," Kratos answered, "and I started thinking about what's to come. We're really... I mean we're really going to have a child..."

Yuan smiled. "Yeah, we really are..."

Kratos leaned down and kissed him, running his hands along his sides. "Let's go eat."

"Alright." Yuan said with a smile. They got up and went downstairs to a waiting meal. "Did you cook this yourself?" He asked.

Kratos laughed nervously. "Kinda..."

Yuan raised an eyebrow at him. "I don't like the sound of that..."

"It's nothing." Kratos assured quickly, pulling out a seat for Yuan.

Yuan sighed and sat down. He eyed the food skeptically, unsure if it was safe to eat.

Kratos began to eat his readily, not concerned in the least.

Yuan eyed him for a moment longer, then shrugging began to eat. "Ah, this is actually pretty good!" He exclaimed.

"Really?" Kratos said with a smile. "That makes the huge mess worth while!"

"... Huge mess?" Yuan echoed.

"Ah... forget I said that." Kratos said with a feeble grin.

* * *

"So how are you today Yuan?" Raine asked. 

"I'm good and the baby seems more active then ever." Yuan answered.

"That's good to hear." Raine said with a smile. "Hm, according to my chart you're... in your second trimester, right?"

"That I am." Yuan replied.

"Are there... any complications or pains that you've been experiencing?" Raine asked.

"No, not particularly." Yuan said, making a thoughtful noise. "Though I have been desiring more sleep and also a lot of exercise. It's kind of confusing, at one time I'll be dead on my feet, at the other I'll be bursting with energy."

"That sounds rough." Raine agreed. "Though it is quite normal for a pregnancy, you should be happy you're not experiencing any of the rougher parts of this stage of the pregnancy."

"Rougher...?" Yuan asked looking a little pale.

"You don't even want to know..." Raine said with a shake of her head. "But if you do start experiencing any sudden or new pains, please do not be afraid to inform me. It could be a normal part of the pregnancy, or it could be something else; due to the 'nature' of this pregnancy."

Yuan gulped, but nodded. "I'll be sure to keep you informed.

"Good." Raine said with a wide smile. "Now I'm going to examine him to see how he is."

Yuan nodded and laid down so Raine could do the exam.

Raine lightly tapped his tummy, giving a delighted sound when the baby kicked back. She then used her mana to see the child from the inside. "Hello there little one..." she whispered. "Ah, you're developing wonderfully..."

Yuan twitched and snorted. "Raine, that tickles." He complained.

"I would imagine so..." Raine replied. "Alright little one, I want you to sneeze for me..." It wasn't a moment later Yuan felt and heard a sneeze from his child. "Wonderful, your lungs are developing beautifully." She cooed.

Yuan sighed. "Raine, is he developing properly?"

"Certainly." Raine answered. "He's got a good heart beat and his lungs are already working."

"That's good to hear." Yuan said with a sigh of relief.

"By the way, I read in a parenting magazine that you'll form a stronger bond with your baby if you sing to them." Raine commented off hand.

"Really? I don't really have much of a voice though." Yuan said.

"That doesn't matter, just singing is enough to give them stimulants that will help their brains and will give them better recognition." Raine answered.

"I wonder if I should get Kratos to sing to him then, he's got a lovely voice." Yuan sighed.

"Perhaps, and also if you put music near them it will stimulate the brain as well." Raine said.

"I love music, I just hope he has the same taste as I do... I hate Kratos' music." Yuan said, sticking out his tongue.

Raine laughed. "Who knows, perhaps he'll like both."

"Poor thing if he does..." Yuan said with a sigh.

"What does Kratos like anyways." Raine asked.

"This stuff called rock and roll. It used to be popular, especially to rebels like him." Yuan answered.

"Rock and roll?" Raine repeated.

"You don't even want to know." Yuan sighed.

"Well alright, I think your exam for today went well." Raine said. "I think we can be assured that earlier complications won't effect you too badly. We'll keep a constant eye one you and the baby, especially now that you're much later in your pregnancy."

"Alright doctor Raine." Yuan said with a sigh.

"Doctor Raine... it has a nice ring to it." Raine said with a wistful sigh.

Yuan rolled his eyes. "Okay 'doctor' Raine. I think I want to lie down again, so if you would..."

"Alright, I'll see myself out." Raine said with a smile.

"Thank you... I mean it, thanks for everything." Yuan said honestly.

Raine was slightly taken back. "Ah, well... You're welcome." She said finally smiling.

Yuan nodded, then laid his head down, nearly instantly falling asleep.

Raine smiled at him, picking up some blankets and draping them on him. "Good night Yuan, have a good rest..." She said and made her way downstairs.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** My turn again... Oh boy!)) 


	16. Quiet Surprises

((A/N: **Meowzy:** It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry. School is teaming up with other fanfics to swallow my soul. -_sigh_-  
Thanks for the reviews, thanks for being so patient, and I'm sorry Niffe!))

* * *

Quiet Surprises.

"Can't we just call it a day?"

Yuan sighed tiredly in an overdramatic way. At the moment, he was sitting on the living room floor, his back leaning against the wall. Kratos was kneeling next to him, wearing a dismissive frown.

"We only just got started. Now try it again." The man said.

"Fine." Yuan focussed his eyes blankly on one spot and got ready to breathe in, but he was stopped.

"Ah, ah. Palms upwards." Kratos pointed out.

"Gah." Yuan shifted his hands so that they were resting on his thighs, his palms upwards.

"Good. Now breathe in."

Yuan closed his eyes, drawing a slow gasp of air.

"Frown, but don't clench your teeth." Kratos said sharply.

The half-elf started to scowl deliberately, causing his partner to sigh, shaking his head. Yuan exhaled again, grunting in an annoyed way.

"I _told_ you to just call it a day."

"No. Raine advised me to coach you during breathing exercises, so that's what I'm going to do." Kratos spoke stubbornly.

"It's not like I'll be needing them." Yuan pouted slightly, running a hand over his stomach.

"Yes you will. Breathing exercises reduce stress and can be helpful if you're experiencing pain."

"I sincerely hope that won't happen." The half-elf replied.

"Same here. But it's best to be prepared anyway." Kratos wrapped his arms around Yuan's neck, placing a kiss on his cheek. "The sooner you get this over with, the sooner I can get started on dinner."

"Heh, you know exactly how to motivate me." Yuan chuckled cheerfully.

"Alright." Kratos backed away again. "Ready?"

Yuan glanced down, making sure he was still sitting in the right position. "Yes."

"Breathe in."

Yuan closed his eyes and frowned lightly, taking a deep breath.

"And… breathe out."

The half-elf relaxed his facial muscles again, exhaling slowly.

"Good. Now keep going and find a rhythm that's comfortable for you." Kratos sat back and crossed his legs, making himself more comfortable as he watched his partner. If only it was going to be this easy every day…

* * *

It took Yuan a few weeks to finally get the hang of his breathing exercises. By then, he was already half-way his seventh month of pregnancy. Even though walking had turned into a quite a challenge and everyone now mistook him for a woman, he still insisted on doing his own grocery shopping. 

"Let's see… macaroni or spaghetti?" he wondered aloud, ignoring the way people were staring at his stomach and smiling faintly.

Deciding to go with spaghetti, he reached out and grabbed the box from the shelf. At that exact moment, a sudden sting of pain rushed through his abdomen. He accidentally dropped the package to the ground, hissing through his teeth as he placed a hand on his belly.

About five seconds later, the pain had subsided again and Yuan looked down to see that the box of spaghetti had opened up, sending the pasta all over the floor. A female store clerk immediately came running towards him, carrying a broom.

"Are you alright miss?" she asked, casting a quick glance at Yuan's stomach.

"I'm not a- I mean… Yes, I'm fine." The half-elf spoke, clenching his fists. "I'm sorry about the mess."

"No, no. That's alright. I'll have it cleaned up in no-time." the clerk smiled cheerfully at him, starting to sweep the floor.

"At least let me help." Yuan argued, wanting to prove that he was not completely incapable yet.

"Oh no. You shouldn't overexert yourself."

"Ah… Okay." Yuan quickly grabbed a new box of spaghetti and threw it into his shopping cart before walking away, not wanting to injure an innocent and clueless woman.

"Good luck!" the clerk called after him.

Barely able to contain his irritation, Yuan rounded a corner and strode down the vegetable aisle. It wasn't long, however, before he was forced to freeze in his tracks, groaning in pain. He kneeled down behind his cart, wrapping his arms around his sore abdomen.

"Look, that pregnant woman is in pain!" called a man, as customers started to crowd around the half-elf to see what the trouble was.

"I'm not a- Aaaagh!" Yuan leaned forward even more, anxiously clutching his stomach. It felt like the baby was curling up inside of him, pushing against his organs.

"Someone call an ambulance!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Kratos was presiding a meeting with the angels. They were now busy constructing their own capital. Derris-Kharlan had left the planet's orbit five months ago, after all, and the smaller establishments were no longer enough to contain their large numbers. Their new haven had been baptised 'Avengelico'. It lay South of Meltokio, near the Fooji mountains. Elder Mika had been assigned the leader of the city. 

"-And we're very close to finishing the community hall." One of the angels finished his report, before sitting down.

"Good. When we're done with the constructions, this will be a very majestic city." Kratos gave a curt smile.

"We couldn't have done it without you, lord Kratos." Another angel piped up. The entire table muttered in agreement.

"Please don't refer to me like that anymore." Kratos said tiredly. "Just… call me Kratos."

All the angels smiled at him, nodding brightly. It wasn't that hard to see that they still hadn't regained all of their individuality yet.

"Alright, next on the agenda is-" elder Mika began, but he was cut off when the meeting room's door opened.

Everyone turned to see a rather jittery looking angel enter, glancing around. "Ah… I come bearing an urgent message for lord Kratos."

"He wishes to be called Kratos." One of the angels spoke up, as the others nodded in agreement.

"A-alright then. I come bearing an urgent message for Kratos." The carrier corrected himself.

"Well, what is it?" Kratos asked, leaning forward in his chair.

"It's, ah…" the angel glanced around with an indecisive expression. Finally, he decided to fly forward, halting next to the human to whisper something in his ear. Kratos' eyes widened in shock.

"I have to go." He said immediately, pushing himself to his feet. "Elder Mika, please handle the rest of the meeting without me."

"L- eh, Kratos, what's wrong?" Mika questioned, as everyone glanced back and forth between the messenger and the seraph.

Kratos didn't respond, pushing back his seat and running out the door faster than his feet could carry him.


	17. New Occurrence

((A/N: **Niffe:** Well... onwards and upwards! Here's the next chapter, sorry it took so long to do! I am soooo lazy. But this chapter's pretty good!  
Warnings: mature themes, yaoi.  
Disclaimer: I do not own

**Meowzy:** Neither do I!))

* * *

New Occurrence.

"Where is he?" Kratos asked as soon as he entered his house.

"Upstairs with mistress Raine." One of the maids answered.

Kratos didn't acknowledge her answer short of running up the stairs to his and Yuan's room. "Yuan!" He shouted, slamming his fists on the door.

Raine answered the door. "Kratos! Good to see you, come in but be quiet."

"Is Yuan...?" Kratos didn't finish, fearing the worse.

"No, he's alright." Raine said, moving so he could see him.

"Yuan!" Kratos exclaimed running over to him.

"He's alright, it was a false alarm." Raine told him.

"Thank the goddess." Kratos sighed taking Yuan's hand into his own. "I thought..."

"So did we all." Raine said. "I think that he may have an early delivery... this was nearly..."

"Almost..." Kratos sighed stroking Yuan's hand. "What was he doing?" He asked.

"Grocery shopping." Raine answered. "He had a relapse from his previous... situation."

"When he..." Kratos gasped.

"Yeah..." Raine sighed. "His organs won't be able to take much more."

"I see... then how long till the baby's birth." Kratos asked.

"I'm going to have to give the c section within the next couple of weeks or face further complications." Raine explained.

"Will our child...?" Kratos asked hesitantly.

"There's no way to say... thus far the baby has developed well... and they have all their major organs and limbs as far as I can tell." Raine replied.

"Then..." Kratos whispered.

"There's a seventy five percent that he'll survive the delivery." Raine answered.

Kratos sighed sadly. "That is better... than the alternative."

"Good, then I'll leave you to deliver the news." Raine said.

"Thank you Raine." Kratos said sarcastically.

"I live to serve." Raine said with a chuckle.

* * *

A little while later Yuan awoke to the smell of onion soup. "...Kratos?" He whispered. 

"Yeah." Kratos answered. "I'm here."

Yuan looked up at him. "...The baby!" He exclaimed, sitting up and holding his stomach.

"He's fine." Kratos said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Yuan sighed in relief. "I'm glad."

"Yuan..." Kratos said quietly.

"Yes?" Yuan said, tilting his head.

"I have... bad news." Kratos sighed.

"...What happened, what's wrong?" Yuan asked, eyes taking on a fearful glaze.

"The baby." Kratos sighed. "It's the same problem as before. He's pushing against your organs."

"...I... I see... What can we do?" Yuan asked fearfully.

"Raine intends to do an early c-section." Kratos explained.

"What will that do to the baby?" Yuan asked, trying to remain calm.

"There's a seventy five percent chance that he'll survive." Kratos answered.

"Alright." Yuan said with a sigh. "I... I want him to survive."

"As do I Yuan." Kratos said, rubbing his lover's stomach.

Yuan smiled sadly at him. "I know..."

* * *

"So we'll be having a new baby soon?" Yuan asked Raine later. 

"Yep, so have you got the baby supplies and the baby room all done?" Raine asked. "Remember that the baby will need a comm link in his room to make sure you can hear him."

"Alright! We get it!" Kratos sighed.

Raine smiled. "Ohhhhhhhhh!!! A baby! I can't wait!"

"We've known about this for a while Raine, why are you choosing now to get excited?" Yuan said with a sigh.

"Ah well... soon he'll be born!" Raine exclaimed.

Yuan shook his head. "I will never to this day understand women."

"Me either..." Kratos sighed.

Raine just smiled happily.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Yes? Who is it?" Yuan asked.

"It's us." Zelos' voice answered. "We heard you collapsed."

"Come in." Yuan sighed. "There's always room for two more..."

Zelos and Lloyd entered the room, holding a basket full of food and some flowers.

"Um guys... I'm not dead yet..." Yuan said, eying the flowers.

"We know that." Lloyd said with a smile. "These are 'get better flowers'."

"And the food?" Kratos asked.

"Comfort food!" Zelos said with a wide smile. "We've covered all the essentials! Cookies, chicken noodle soup, chocolate, ice cream, pickles, and bananas!"

Yuan's eyes lit up. "Did you say pickles and ice cream?" Everyone laughed at Yuan's enthusiasm, to which he pouted. "Cruel..."

Kratos finished chuckling. "Well... we should leave Yuan to eat, I'll stay here to make sure he's okay."

The others nodded. "Alright... we'll be downstairs."

Yuan looked up at Kratos. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Kratos answered with a smile.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** My turn again! Gawd, I hope this won't take too long... I'm so busy nowadays... Quick, motivate me with a review! ... But make sure to compliment Niffe as well.)) 


	18. Preparing For A New Life

((**Meowzy:** You thought this fic was dead? Well, it's not! After a month of procrastination, I bring thee the next chapter! And I am soooo sorry it took so long. This was like... the biggest writer's block I have ever had. Sorry!))

* * *

Preparing For A New Life.

It was nine days after Yuan had collapsed while grocery shopping. The c-section was only one week away. This, of course, meant that his friends were already visiting every so often to wish him good luck.

At the moment, most of the old gang had dropped by and sat comfortably in the living room. Kratos had gone out working again, so everyone decided to keep a close eye on Yuan. Meanwhile, the maids constantly ran in and out of the room to serve tea.

"Boy… Just one more week…" Zelos said slowly, smiling up at the ceiling with a nostalgic look on his face.

"Yes." Yuan grunted curtly.

"Seven days…" Zelos continued.

"I know." Yuan crossed his arms, frowning lightly.

"That's five weekdays and one weekend."

"Zelos, shut up."

Zelos laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Still, he didn't dare say another word.

"So, are you all prepared?" Sheena asked, stirring her cup of tea.

"I guess so." Yuan replied, thinking deeply.

"So… The room is ready and you have clothes and toys and everything?" Sheena enquired.

"I can knit another stuffed animal for you if you want!" Colette offered cheerfully.

"Ah… No, thank you." Yuan gave a nervous chuckle, not meeting the girl's eye. Then his face suddenly took a painful expression. "Besides, it's a seventy-five percent chance. If something goes wrong…"

"Don't think like that!" Lloyd called harshly, causing the man to look up. "Seventy-five percent is a lot! Plus, I'm sure the baby is strong, just like his fathers."

Yuan remained silent for a moment, before smiling. "Thank you, Lloyd."

"And, just think… A week from now you'll have a kid. And then you can teach him how to walk, and you'll hear his first words…" Sheena trailed off, wearing a dreamy expression.

"I'm sure you'll be the best mommy in the world!" Zelos added with a grin.

"I'll just take that a compliment…" Yuan said through gritted teeth.

"And if you ever need some private time with Kratos, you can count on uncle Zelos to look after the little tyke!" The red-head continued to smile widely.

"I am sure that Lloyd will have to look after both of you." Presea cut in, causing everyone except Zelos to burst out laughing.

"He's right though." Lloyd said, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. "Zelos and I can baby-sit any time."

"What? But _I_ wanted to baby-sit!" Sheena called, crossing her arms and looking heavily offended.

"Can I baby-sit a couple of times too? I would love to investigate the world's first child that was born from two men!" Raine added in.

"Sis, it's a baby! Not a Science experiment!" Genis reminded her.

"I know that. I wouldn't dissect him or anything like that. I'd just observe his behaviour and-"

"She's hopeless…" Genis sighed deeply. "Yuan, if you value your child's life, never ever let Raine baby-sit."

Everyone expect Raine burst out laughing. Just then, a slam of the front door was heard and a few moments later Kratos entered the living room. A smile tugged at his lips as he gazed at his guests, before he turned and approached his husband. He leaned forward and quickly kissed Yuan on the lips.

"Good evening, love."

"Welcome home." Yuan replied cheerfully, the side-effects of his fit of laughter still subsiding.

"Did I miss something?" Kratos cast an enquiring look at the others.

"We were just dividing babysitter rights." Zelos replied innocently.

"Oh, I see." Kratos took a seat next to Yuan, waving at the nearest maid to signal that he wanted a cup of tea before turning his attention back to the group. "But I doubt Yuan and I will leave the house the first few months."

"Heh, that's understandable." Zelos said with a shrug. "After all you've been through…"

Everyone cast Yuan a look of sympathy.

"Hey, don't give me that look!" the half-elf said immediately. "I'm going back to work as soon as possible. I've been sitting around the house for months now."

"Just make sure you don't overexert yourself. Your body will need some time to fully recover." Raine commented.

"Yeah yeah…" Yuan rolled his eyes, taking another sip of tea.

"As your doctor, I can order you to have bed rest for as long as I see fit." Raine said with a slightly threatening tone of voice.

"I appreciate your concern, but I'll be fine. Really. I'm a grown man." Yuan assured her.

"Hmm… Alright…"

A small silence fell.

"Let's talk about something a bit more cheerful." Zelos suggested loudly. "Like… me!"

Everyone except Zelos burst out laughing.

"I was being serious…" The red-head muttered under his breath.

* * *

Finally, the big day arrived. Yuan was sitting in the living room, looking slightly queasy, as they waited for Raine. 

"Kratos? Can't I just have a little bit of toast?" the half-elf whined pitifully.

"No." Kratos sat down next to his lover, wrapping an arm around him. "You know you're not supposed to eat anything the morning before the surgery."

"But I'm hungry…" Yuan said with a pout, resting his head on the man's shoulder.

"Just hang on for now, okay? Pretty soon, you'll be able to eat whatever you want again." Kratos replied, smiling at him.

"I guess." Yuan sighed before rubbing his eyes. "I'm so tired. I barely got any sleep last night. I just kept tossing and turning…"

"I noticed. I was lying next to you, remember?" Kratos chuckled softly.

"Mean…" Yuan muttered.

Just then, the doorbell rang, signifying that Raine had arrived. Kratos made to get up, but Yuan stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"It'll be fine, right?" he asked, an anxious expression on his face.

Kratos remained silent for a moment, before leaning forward to place a kiss on Yuan's forehead. "Yes. Everything will be alright. I can feel it."

"Good." Yuan said with a sigh of relief. "Then, let's get this baby out of my stomach and into the world."

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Leave reviews? Please? Oh, and cheer Niffe on, since it's her turn now.)) 


	19. Welcome My Dear

((**Niffe:** Okay... so like I have been uber lazy when it comes to my fan fics lately... I have no excuse, except I've been busy so my social life's (aside from my boyfriend) been on hold... I bow to all of your awesomeness and pray you forgive me... We'll enough ranting, on with the fic!))

* * *

Welcome my dear.

"How are we today?" Raine asked as soon as she entered the room, putting down her bag with a slight clang.

"Tired, hungry and ready to give birth." Yuan answered shortly. "Will the other doctor be coming?"

"The one from before? No, but there will be two midwifes dropping by to help." Raine answered. "I've already informed them of the situation, so all you have to do is the labor part."

"Did they take it well?" Yuan asked, a near hesitance in his voice.

"They wouldn't be coming if they didn't." Raine replied. "Now, let's set up the room for this."

"Actually..." Kratos said, helping Yuan to his feet. "We're going to have it in another room, one that's more sanitary."

"Really? Alright, when did you set that up?" Raine asked, following the two lovers to said room.

"Two days ago, we both decided that we wanted to make sure this was as comfortable as it could be for both momma and baby." Kratos answered, smiling and giving Yuan a gentle squeeze.

Raine just smiled, walking in after them through the halls to the east hall and into a room which looked, nearly completely, like a proper birthing room that you'd find in a hospital. "Wow... I'm impressed." she said in slight awe of the room.

"Thanks... we got a bed that would be the most suitable for the surgery as you suggested." Kratos said, helping Yuan onto said bed. "It has levers and that sort so you can adjust it as needed."

"That's good..." Raine said, a slight excitement in her voice. "Looks like everything's ready." She put down her bag again on a table, taking out all the tools she'd need to do the surgery.

"Raine..." Yuan said quietly. "Why did you get two midwifes instead of doctors or nurses to help?"

Raine sighed, rubbing her head. "Because they were the only ones who'd do it for a reasonable price." she answered, looking up at him. "I'll be dealing with keeping you safe, they'll be dealing with the baby."

"I see..." Yuan said, looking away.

"Don't worry, they're still medical professionals, they'll both be of good service to you and your child." Raine said with a reassuring smile.

"I trust you Raine." Yuan replied, looking back at her.

"We both do." Kratos chimed in. "By the way, when will they get here?"

"They should be arriving any moment actually..." Raine answered, and right on cue a someone knocked on the door.

"My lords and lady?" A maid called out.

Kratos walked over and answered the door. "Yes?" he asked.

"There's a man and a woman here, they say they're midwifes..." The maid answered.

"Alright, see them in." Kratos ordered calmly, to which the maid bowed and ran off to do so.

"A man?" Yuan asked Raine.

"You'll see..." Raine replied with a slight smirk.

Five minutes later the maid returned with both midwifes in toe, she bowed to Kratos and then went about her way again. The midwifes made their way in.

"Thank you both for coming." Raine greeted them, as they entered.

"You're very welcome." The woman said, taking off her hood to reveal Kate from Sybak.

"Not a problem in the world my sweet hunny." The other said, taking off his own hood.

"Wh-What!?" Yuan gasped, sitting upright in shock. "Zelos?!" he asked, utterly confused.

"You sound surprised!" Zelos said with a wave and a giant grin. "Didn't you know I was a doctor?"

"A... doctor?" Kratos said skeptically, eying the ex-chosen.

"Yep, after the whole chosen thing was done I had to do something with my life." Zelos said with a wide smile.

Yuan looked at him oddly, before breaking into laughter. "Ah... and here I thought I'd be rid of you for at least a little while." he half said, half laughed.

"Not that easily... besides, when Raine came knocking I had to answer." Zelos said, still giving his trade mark smirk. "After all I'll be helping my second two favorite hunnies."

Kratos sighed. "We'll guess it can't be helped." He turned to the green haired half-elf. "Your name is Kate isn't it?"

"Yes... I remember you from before... you were the one looking for zircon weren't you?" Kate asked.

"Hm, you remembered." Kratos said with a slight smile.

"Yes... but I'm afraid your name still alludes me." Kate replied with an echoing smile.

"Kratos Aurion." Kratos said, extending his hand.

Kate shook the hand, smiling slightly. "I'm glad you invited me to help you with this."

"I'm glad you came." Kratos answered easily.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world, this is the first time the world sees a man give birth and all due to his Cruxis crystal!" Kate said, a gleam that was similar to Raine's ruin mode shining in her eyes.

"Great... someone else who wants to dissect me..." Yuan sighed.

Raine and Kate laughed, the latter walking over and extending her hand. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, and considering that you're the one having the baby I think it's a bit of information that's important."

"Yuan, Yuan Aurion." Yuan replied, shaking her hand.

"Good, now that we're all on first name basis lets get this baby delivered!" Zelos exclaimed happily.

"Raine, I thought you said no doctors would help you." Kratos said, looking on Zelos.

"He'll be acting as a midwife." Raine answered. "There'll need to be two people taking care of this baby."

"I see..." Kratos said, hiding his worry.

"Now Kratos, you need to go wait outside, we'll call you when it's done." Raine said, getting her tools set up.

"No, I want to remain here for Yuan." Kratos answered.

"I'm sorry Kratos, but the lady's right." Zelos said, placing a hand on Kratos' shoulder. "There won't be any room for you here... and we'll be very busy trying to ensure that both junior and Yuan make it through."

Kratos looked at Yuan helplessly, wanting to remain there as a support.

"Don't worry love... I'll be fine, I've got the best on my side." Yuan said, trying to ease Kratos' discomfort.

"Alright..." Kratos finally relented. "Then... how long do you think this'll take?" he asked Raine.

"I'm not completely sure..." Raine answered with a sigh. "It all depends on what happens... but if all goes well then only about an hour or two."

Kratos looked at Yuan again meeting his eyes and he knew that his lover was afraid. He could die... or the baby could... or they could both meet their ends... there were too many 'coulds'.

"We'll do everything we can, and give it our all." Zelos told Kratos, giving him a completely serious look. "We'll get them both through this."

Kratos sighed, looking between Zelos, Raine, and Yuan. "I know you will." he said, walking over to Yuan he gave him one last kiss before leaving.

"Are you ready Yuan?" Raine asked, looking at the blunet half-elf with a serious look.

"As ready as I'll ever be..." Yuan answered easily.

* * *

Five hours... five hours Kratos had been pacing now, hearing the agonizing screams his husband was giving. Five hours of worrying with each loud shout of pain. Five hours of seeing a maid go in and carte off blood soaked towels in a case. To say he was worried would be a gross understatement, even saying he was terrified wouldn't have cut it. 

Kratos was suffering a deep dread in the bottom of his stomach that he'd only felt two times previous to this... Once when his wife was turned into a monster, the next when he was when he saw his son take on Yggdrasill just after Colette had finished her journey of regeneration. He stopped when he heard a particularly pain filled scream ripped from his lover...

"Yuan..." He cried, marching up to the door, intending to break through when he heard a cry that did not belong to his lover at all... one that could only belong to something new... something pure and devoid of all malice or hate that the world seemed to bathe in. He stood there shaking for a what seemed like forever, barely aware when the door opened and Kate came out holding a blanket of soft swan white. "Lord Aurion." She said to him quietly, walking up to him. "I'd like you to meet your new son." She said with a wide, joy filled smile.

Kratos looked up at her with wide disbelieving eyes. "My... son?" He asked quietly, looking at the quietly sleeping infant.

"Yes Lord Aurion ...would you like to hold him?" Kate asked him.

Kratos just nodded dumbfounded, walking over and gently cradling the tiny bundle. "My... son..." He said quietly, a smile forming on his face that was so filled with happiness it could have rivaled one of Lloyd's own when Zelos had proposed to him. Tears filled his eyes, his legs suddenly feeling unable support him. He moved to a chair, that he'd had placed there while he waited and nearly collapsed into it. "My goddess... you're so beautiful..." he said to his son with a choked voice.

"Lord Aurion...?" Kate said gently. "What did you wish to name your baby?"

"We agreed that he'd be named Cayden if he had Yuan's eyes and Farrell if he had mine." Kratos answered.

Kate laughed lightly, causing Kratos to look at her oddly. "Sorry, I meant no offense. It's just..."

The infant choose that time to start wailing, causing Kratos and Kate to look down at him, the former rocking him gently till he quieted down. After a moment he opened his blurry eyes, giving Kratos quite a shock.

"His eyes..." Kratos whispered.

"Yes... one's green and the other's brown." Kate said, former mirth returning.

"I see..." Kratos said, a slight smile forming on his face.

"Kate!" Zelos voice shouted, causing the infant to begin wailing again. He slammed the doors open and whipped his head around wildly, spotting her a moment later. "Kate! Come back in, we need you **now**!" he shouted at the startled half-elf.

Kate spared a glance at Kratos before doing as was ordered and following him back into the room, leaving a horror struck Kratos and wailing infant in her wake.

* * *

((**Niffe:** Yeah I know, I copped out and didn't actually write the birthing scene... but would have really wanted a description of abhorred amount of blood that Yuan would have lost alongside the immense pain he suffered? No, didn't think so.  
**Meowzy:** Poor Yuie! Looks like it's up to me to save him! ... Or let him die. Meheheheheh...)) 


	20. My Age's Dawn

((**Meowzy:** Ne, gomen gomen! I'm so sorry that it took so long! It was just... writersblock to the extreme with this chapter! Sorryyyy! So thanks to everyone who kept insisting that this story be continued!))

* * *

My Age's Dawn.

"This is not good. He's losing too much blood!"

"Stop panicking, Zelos! Make yourself useful and hand me the scissors."

"Raine, he's losing consciousness."

"Dammit. Come on, Yuan! Stay with us!"

Yuan's eyes slowly slid closed, voices echoing in the back of his head. Somehow, he wasn't quite sure what they were saying anymore. The entire world was becoming one big blur. He was tired, he was hurting and he couldn't even remember why he was there in the first place. It was something important, but…

"Yuan!"

It didn't matter anymore. Breathing deeply, he allowed himself to be absorbed by darkness.

* * *

Silence. 

Yuan couldn't see… He couldn't hear… Yet… Somehow he had the feeling that he wasn't really gone. He was somewhere dark, that was true. He could feel his limbs growing more and more tired, but… He couldn't help but feel that he wasn't quite dead.

What kind of situation had he gotten himself into now? Perhaps this was a realm of dreams. Or maybe he'd gone to hell. There could also be the possibility that this place was somewhere on the brink of life and death. A void, separating the two.

Just when he was about to give up and let the shadows swallow him, he saw it. A bright light appeared in front of him, growing larger and larger, chasing away the darkness. Slowly, it took the shape of a human being.

Yuan's gasp went completely unheard.

The one before him was none other than Martel. Yet instantly knew it was not the Martel he'd loved so long ago. This was the guardian, the _spirit_ of the great Kharlan tree. A representation of all the souls that had fallen to the Great Seed. The embodiment of mana itself. Martel…

"Yuan Aurion…" she spoke, her voice soft and gentle.

Yuan was completely dumbstruck and unable to respond. He could only watch the one before him.

"You are very fortunate... It seems the world itself begs that your life be spared, that you are given a second chance." The spirit spoke, a serene expression on her face. "Though you have already lived an extended life, it is still too soon for you to be granted your eternal rest."

The world itself wanted his life to be spared? It was too soon for him to die? But… Why?

"I sense your confusion, Yuan Aurion. It is understandable in your situation." Martel commented. "However, you must keep in mind that nothing happens without a reason. The birth of your child was no accident."

Slowly it dawned on Yuan. What had happened, and what he'd promised. He wouldn't die. He couldn't die. He was supposed to live, to be with Kratos and his child… His _son_.

He set his face in what he was sure was a determined expression. He couldn't give up. Not now.

Martel raised her staff high above her head. It started to shine with great power. "Live, Yuan Aurion. Live…"

* * *

"Lord Aurion… You can't go in there!" a trembling maid was trying everything in her power to block the bedroom door. 

"Out of my way!" Kratos roared, still holding his wailing child. "I don't care what's going on in there! Yuan needs me!"

"My lord, please calm down." The maid turned even paler, flinching nervously.

"_Move_!" Kratos growled through gritted teeth.

Normally, he would have simply pushed the girl aside. Now, however, he had to support the newborn cradled in his arms and had no hand to spare. Still, he refused to put the child down and leave him in the care of a maid.

"Move, _now_." Kratos tried one last time, sending the girl in front of him the darkest look he could muster.

Whimpering under her breath, the maid quickly sidled away from the door. Shifting the weight of the child towards his chest just a little, Kratos managed to grasp the doorknob with his fingers. Within seconds, he had barged into the room.

Raine, Zelos and Kate had all backed away from the bed slightly, staring at Yuan with shocked eyes. Yuan himself was sitting up, his hands held up in front of his face as he gazed at them in wonder. He looked up when he noticed his husband enter the room.

"Kratos…" he whispered.

"Yuan… What's happened?" Kratos asked, noticing that the half-elf seemed to be just fine.

"It was a miracle…" Kate murmured.

"It was amazing." Zelos called loudly. "One second he was dying and the next second he was surrounded by an eerie green light! His wounds were completely healed. Look, there's no scar or anything!"

Raine gave a nimble nod. "It truly was a remarkable sight."

"It was Martel." Yuan smiled lightly.

"Mithos' sister?" Zelos questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No… The guardian of the tree. She said that it was too soon for me to die. That I was being given a second chance…"

"Yuan…" Kratos stepped forward, sitting down on the bed beside his lover. Yuan glanced down at the crying bundle in his arms.

"Is that…"

"Our son." Kratos confirmed with a smile.

"Can I hold him?" Yuan asked.

Kratos nodded, carefully moving the newborn into Yuan's arms. Almost immediately, the child ceased its cries. Both parents smiled at it lovingly and Kratos wrapped his arms around Yuan's shoulders, holding him close.

"Awww… How cute." Zelos cooed.

"What, you're still here?" Yuan stared at him.

Raine chuckled under her breath. "We're going to have to keep the baby under close observation for at least a week. It was born a bit too soon, after all…"

Yuan sighed deeply. He'd been hoping for some peace and quiet.

"Considering the situation, however, it might be best to give both mother and child some rest for now." Raine added.

"Very true." Kate agreed.

They grabbed a reluctant Zelos by the arm and made their way to the door. As they left, Raine said; "Don't let him tire himself out, Kratos."

The door snapped shut, leaving the parents alone with their son. A blissful silence followed.

"I suppose we should visit the tree and thank Martel some time soon." Kratos murmured.

"I suppose so."

Kratos glanced to his side to notice that tears were rolling down Yuan's face. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

"Damn moodswings." Yuan replied in a short manner.

Kratos chuckled again and moved his hand to wipe Yuan's cheeks. Then he resorted to gazing at his newborn son once more. The child had apparently fallen asleep.

"He's beautiful." Yuan sighed.

"I know. He looks just like you." Kratos managed a playful smirk.

Yuan chose to ignore that comment completely. "What's his eyecolor?"

"It seems destiny likes to play tricks on us. He's got both our eyecolors." The human responded.

"Two different eyecolors?" Yuan frowned. "Wow… That's different alright. And it leaves us with a dilemma."

Kratos 'hm'-ed absentmindedly. Truthfully, he wouldn't have minded either one of the names they'd decided on.

"Should we come up with something new?" Yuan glanced up at him with a questioning expression.

"No. I already know which name I like best." Kratos spoke.

Yes, even though the child had both eyecolors, it didn't matter. He wanted to go with the name they'd chosen for the occasion of Yuan's emerald green eyes.

"Cayden."


End file.
